One Decision
by SarissaDiablo
Summary: AU - "I can't let you die, Sasuke. I just...I can't. I can't let you go. You…you're my important person. You're the only one that knows me…" Yaoi Naru/Sasu/Gaara
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: There will be spoilers in this, because despite this being an AU story, it will still /mostly/ follow the canon timeline. This story starts at the battle in the Valley of the End, between Naruto and Sasuke. Also, there will be YAOI! If you don't like, don't read. **

**Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke... and maybe some others as the story goes along.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, so don't sue. (This will be the only time I will put warnings/disclaimers, except for a chapter that does contain actual sex.)**

**Summary: "You are my _friend_, Sasuke. If I can't convince you to come back to Konoha, then at least I can go with you to make sure you don't die. I won't let you die."**

**Theme: All Around Me - Flyleaf**

**Now edited by the awesome, wonderful Toki Mirage, and a.k.a. Kitten. *evil grin*kiss* Luv ya! And thank you!!  
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Sasuke fell onto his ass in the mud, coughing to get rid of the blood that was bubbling in his lungs, as he stared in disbelief at the blond that was – somehow – still alive.

This was the boy that he had fallen in love with. This bleeding, broken boy, that was no different from him.

Blood poured from the wound his Chidori had made in the slender chest, just to left of his heart, and he couldn't stop the sickening wretch in his soul, knowing that he was the one that had caused the wound. He wouldn't go back to Konoha, though, no matter what the blond told him, or did. There wasn't anyone in the Village who could teach him the things he needed to know to kill Itachi or give him the power he needed. The power of the Curse Mark that Orochimaru had given him was all he needed to prove that Konoha wasn't a place for him anymore. So he turned his back on them all, even the blond that he had come to love. Not that Naruto would ever know that.

It had started with small things. Talking to each other as they camped out, long after Kakashi and Sakura had passed out, or sparring with each other as they bullshitted back and forth. Quiet times in Ichiraku's when Naruto would put away his cheerful mask and speak to Sasuke about what it had been like growing up, and the Uchiha would respond in kind. It was all the stupid missions they did together that made him realize that Naruto was an actual _friend_ and not just a teammate. The blond would willingly put his life on the line for Sasuke, and the Uchiha had found that over time, he was willing to do the same.

Not for Sakura and Kakashi though. No, Sakura could jump off a cliff for all he cared, and Kakashi…the Jounin could take care of himself. Only Naruto. It was only Naruto that had gotten past his shell. That was what made this so hard. He would be leaving the blond to pursue his revenge, and nothing Naruto said or did, short of killing him, was going to convince him otherwise.

"You're…going to go…no matter…what I say…or do," Naruto gasped quietly, on his hands and knees as the rain pounded down onto his healing body. The fact that he could feel the Kitsune's chakra actually _working _to heal him, told him that he would have died if he didn't have the Bijuu. As the world wavered around him, he knew he was on the verge of unconsciousness. _But I can't yet_, he scolded himself fiercely._ I have to figure out some way for him to live! Even if he doesn't come back to Konoha, there has to be a way to keep him from going to that death trap! There has to be! If he goes to that snake…if he goes alone, I know Orochimaru will kill him!_

_Wait…alone…?_

Naruto had loved Sasuke, though he would never tell the Uchiha that, ever since he had seen the lonely boy sitting on that dock by himself. The sad, dark eyes that Sasuke always seemed to have drew the blond in like a moth to a flame. The quiet Uchiha that was always able to temper his brashness, calming him with his quiet, reserved nature. The pain that was always lurking in the back of the ebony head, the knowledge that his own brother, who he had loved more than anyone, had been the one to destroy Sasuke's world. The need for revenge that Naruto sympathized with all too well, with the way he had been treated by the Village.

It was those things, and more, then had led to him to fall for the Uchiha. He knew Sasuke would never return his feelings, and he was too afraid to admit them now that Sasuke had seen part of the demon that lived inside him. Though…Sasuke wasn't looking at him as though he was afraid, or even disgusted about the horrible red chakra Naruto harbored. He idly wondered if Sasuke even truly knew what that red chakra meant.

But, Sasuke being calm…that had to count for something…right?

Naruto knew he couldn't let Sasuke walk off to his death. He owed Sasuke more than that; as a friend, as a teammate…as the person who loved him. He would do whatever it took to make sure that Sasuke stayed alive, and that thought echoed the one from earlier. Something broke inside Naruto's chest as the thought formed and then solidified as the only option he could see that would keep his best friend alive. He knew that by making this decision, he was going to be abandoning his dreams of Hokage, but strangely, the thought didn't bother him. He realized he was perfectly fine leaving Konoha for Sasuke. Sasuke was the first one to see him for _him_, and not the loud-mouthed prankster, or the Jinchuuriki. He would do what was necessary to protect the bond they had.

These thoughts passed through their heads in a matter of seconds as they both breathed harshly past the blood and pain in their bodies. As they stared at each other over the small, yet vast distance between them, Sasuke finally answered, even though it felt like the very word would rip out his heart.

"Yes," the dark haired boy whispered finally, wincing slightly as the simple word caused his broken ribs to dig into his lungs. He watched as panic and fierce determination raced across the whiskered face, and narrowed his eyes, wondering what it was about. He was on the verge of snarling something to the blond, just to end the silent staring contest, when the next words from Naruto's mouth froze him to the ground.

"Then I'm going with you."

Sasuke forgot _how_ to breathe then, he was so surprised. His black eyes widened as he saw the sincerity in the clear blue looking steadily at him.

"But..." he whispered, then cried out sharply in pain as Naruto shot over to him, pinning his body down to the muddy earth. He didn't even have the strength to put up a fight, let alone be amazed that the blond could even move after their battle.

"No buts!" The blond snarled at him, tears coursing unheeded from his eyes, the hot liquid mixing with the rain falling around them. "If you go to him, you'll die Sasuke! Maybe not right away, or even for a few years, but you will!" Naruto seemed to deflate, his face falling into a pained frown. "I know about your need for revenge, Sasuke. I know damnit! I know how much you want power to avenge your clan!"

As Naruto paused, Sasuke could do nothing but stare up at him in disbelief. He didn't feel the pain of his wounds as the blond head came to rest gently on his shoulder, closing his eyes against his own tears as the passionate words continued.

"You are my _friend_, Sasuke. If I can't convince you to come back to Konoha, then at least I can go with you to make sure you don't die. I won't let you die." He raised his head, and Sasuke opened his eyes, meeting the sincere ones that looked down at him. "I _can't_ let you die, Sasuke. I just...I can't. I can't let you go. You…you're my important person. You're the only one that knows _me_…"

"Naruto-" he whispered hoarsely, but the next words were lost as the warm lips descended onto his own, stealing his breath and heart with the simple action. He felt the coldness that had settled around his heart crack a little, and knew he was a goner. He could do nothing but return the gentle kiss, raising aching arms to embrace the trembling figure above him, lost in a sea of sensation that he thought he would never feel.

Since when was... Naruto had always had his head stuck up Sakura's ass! Since when was Naruto gay? The thoughts flew through his head as their lips moved carefully against the others, and Sasuke was surprised that he could even think at all. Besides, he couldn't let Naruto throw everything away like that. The blond wanted to become Hokage, to be recognized by everyone in the village. He wouldn't let him destroy his dreams like this!

Ripping his mouth away, he groaned softly as the pain returned to his body in a flash, causing Naruto to gasp his name softly in concern. Breathing shallowly, he forced the pain away as best he could, turning his head back to look at the blond. "Naruto, if you come with me you'll be branded a traitor. I can't let you..." His words were cut off by another kiss, this one more brutal. He melted into the ground on a wave of confusing, intense pleasure until the blond drew back once again, glaring down at him with blazing, indignant eyes.

"Can't let me? You don't have a choice Sasuke! Especially now..." He whispered the last words, adjusting his weight so he could cradle the angular face below his with his left hand. "I was expecting you to kill me for that, you know." Sasuke blinked at the admission, finding that he was smirking in slight giddiness.

"Why would I kill you for something that I wanted?" he said dryly, delighting in the way Naruto's eyes widened with shock. Taking the opening, he tried to convince the blond to let him go alone. "Naruto, what about everyone in Konoha?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side slightly, frowning. "What about them?"

Sasuke's eyes opened wide in surprise at the statement, and Naruto took the opportunity to continue.

"Even if I have to follow you into hell, you're not going to get rid of me." He gave the other boy a lopsided smile that made them both laugh very softly, even though it hurt. "I don't want to leave everyone, but I know that they'll be safe. You're the one that won't be safe if you leave."

Sasuke sighed quietly, unable to argue the blonds' point of view, and gave into the stubbornness of Naruto as he gently pushed at the shoulders above him. He'd continue to try and persuade Naruto to go back to Konoha, but he couldn't deny the warmth that spread through him at the knowledge that he wouldn't be going into the jaws of that snake on his own.

"What are you..." Naruto muttered darkly at the push, eliciting a glare.

"If you're coming, then we need to go. Kakashi-sensei's on his way here."

"Oh. Right."

Naruto clambered to his feet, wincing at the abuse of his body. "Damn Sasuke," he muttered as he helped the raven-haired boy to his feet, putting his arm around the slender waist as an arm went across his shoulders. "Kakashi-sensei really shouldn't have taught you Chidori."

"Jiraiya-sama shouldn't have taught you Rasengan," he returned dryly, lightly running his hand across his broken ribs as Naruto laughed quietly.

"Yea, probably not." He agreed as they limped off into the rain soaked forest. Naruto stopped them a few feet past the edge of the woods and glanced over his shoulder with a pained expression as something hit him. He knew what he had to do, if this was going to be official.

"What are you..." Sasuke muttered, but Naruto only shook his head, removing the arm and setting Sasuke gently down against a tree.

"I'll be right back," he assured the now frowning boy as he hurried gingerly back to where Sasuke's hitai-ate lay in the mud. Silently he gave thanks to the demon inside him and its healing powers. Without hesitation he stripped off his own, and set them both on a nearby rock where their teacher would be sure to find them.

He stared at them for a moment longer than he should have, feeling the familiar burn of resentment in his veins as he stared at the symbol that had shaped his entire life. How many times had he thought about leaving Konoha, and never did? How many times did he want to do what Sasuke finally got up the courage to do, but never did because he didn't want to be alone?

He shook his head sharply, ridding himself of the thoughts. It didn't matter now. What mattered was that Sasuke at least had an idea of what was inside him, and it hadn't changed his view of the blond if the kiss was anything to go by. That was what really mattered, and he would be damned if he let Sasuke go now, even if they didn't take their friendship any farther. The damn Uchiha was the only one that mattered to him now. As long as he was with Sasuke, he wouldn't be alone, and that was truly the only thing he had ever wanted in his life. He felt sort of bad for leaving Iruka, and even Kakashi, but he also knew that they would understand. They might be pissed at first, but eventually they would understand.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he drew on the chakra of the Kyuubi to turn his nails into sharp claws. Carefully, he carved a message into the rock and let go of the power, limping back over to where Sasuke waited. Ignoring the curious look, he once again put his arm around the trim waist, and led them both into the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: "Naruto left with Sasuke," Kakashi said again, shrugging. "Did you really think that Naruto was going to let Sasuke go to Orochimaru by himself?"**

**Theme: You're Not Alone - Saosin**

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Kakashi sighed as he looked down at the two hitai-ite at his feet, crouching down as Pakkun sniffed around it.

"Sorry Kakashi," the dog muttered, looking up at him. "The rain has washed away their trail."

"It's fine," the man said evenly, as the dog nodded and disappeared. Crouching down, Kakashi picked up the hitai-ite, his eye widening at the carved words underneath them, knowing who wrote them.

"_**I won't let him go alone."**_

"Oh Naruto..." he whispered sadly, looking away from the words. Standing straight, he looked up into the storm darkened sky and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He could probably find both of them, if he really tried. There were signs of a fierce battle, plus puddles of blood around them in the mud. They wouldn't have gotten far, not with the way they were hurt. Yet...

He opened his one eye, and sighed deeply, warring with himself. He understood Sasuke's need to avenge his clan, and to bring death to Itachi. He also understood why Naruto had gone with him. Yet, he still believed that if the Uchiha wanted to get stronger, then there was no need to leave Konoha. Yet…yet…

He sighed deeply, looking into the woods. Oddly enough, he wasn't as scared for his two students as he thought he would be. Sasuke would be there to protect Naruto, and vice versa. He wasn't worried about _them_, but more for the fact that they would probably be considered missing-nin after this. Growling at his own mental confusion, he nodded his head sharply as he came to a decision, as images passed though his head. Training, missions, watching the reactions of the villagers when Naruto walked passed, not missing the flash of pain in the deep blue eyes. The whispered words focused on Sasuke, and the cold rage it invoked. He couldn't deny that both boys would probably do better outside of Konoha, then in it.

That understanding was what made him pull out a blank tag and waterproof ink. Writing swiftly on the paper, he brought out a kunai and wrapped it around the hilt. Taking a deep breath, he leaped into the trees, hoping he wasn't making the wrong decision.

**-x-x-x-x-**

The two boys stopped dead in their tracks when something thunked into a tree to the right of Sasuke's head, both of them finally noticing Kakashi's chakra behind them. Turning their heads, they both looked, eyes fearful but defiant. Kakashi stood perfectly visible on a tree branch, merely looking down at them. With a small, respectful nod, he vanished, causing both boys to lean against the tree that the kunai was stuck in, trembling slightly as the sudden adrenaline drained away.

Shakily, Sasuke reached up and pulled the weapon from the tree, carefully unwrapping the tag around the handle. When he finally read it, his eyes went wide even as a smirk crossed his lips. Silently he handed it to Naruto, slipping the kunai into his pouch.

"Come back after he's dead," Naruto read out loud, his voice amused. He looked up at Sasuke, but the other boy was looking back, the smirk still on his face. "I guess he does know you."

Sasuke was silent for a moment, before turning back to the blond. "Yea, I guess he does. Let's go, Baka."

"Yep." They slung their arms around each other, once again setting off into the forest.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"What do you mean they're both gone?" Tsunade demanded, shooting out of her seat, her palms smacking onto her desk. Kakashi winced, but Sakura just looked at her with dull green eyes.

"Naruto left with Sasuke," Kakashi said again, shrugging. "Did you really think that Naruto was going to let Sasuke go to Orochimaru by himself? He wanted to bring him back, but…" He shrugged again, looking out the window at the view of Konoha.

Tsunade sighed loudly, slumping back into her seat as she glared at the Jounin. "Why didn't you stop them?"

Kakashi turned to her slowly, his visible eye narrowed slightly, but it was Jiraiya who answered. "You know about those two, Hime. If it had been Dan, would you have let him go alone?" The dark eyes turned, meeting the honey colored ones of the Hokage. She looked pissed, but he could sense the sick desperation that she was feeling at the moment. It was Jiraiya's turn to shrug, as he and Kakashi shared a sympathetic glance. The two of them knew better than anyone that neither Sasuke or Naruto really needed anyone else. As long as the two were together, even Orochimaru would have trouble defeating them.

"Besides, we know that Naruto is loyal to Konoha, even though he left his hitai-ite. If he stays with Sasuke and Orochimaru, maybe we can get a message to him. He could spy for us." A sheepish look overcame him, and he sighed. "I can't deny that both of them would benefit under that traitor. Orochimaru was always a good fucking teacher."

"Yea, except for him having a tendency of experimenting on his pupils," Tsunade muttered dryly, earning a wry smirk from her fellow Sannin. Her, Jiraiya, and Kakashi were all thinking the same thing. While it was bad losing both the last Uchiha, and the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki in the same go, they all knew both boys could take care of themselves, and would protect the other. They all doubted that Naruto would let Sasuke be a test subject, just as they knew Sasuke would keep the snake from trying anything with the blond. Sighing in defeat, she looked at the people gathered. Iruka was as silent and pale as Sakura, staring at the floor as he tried to process what he had been informed of.

"Alright, but this information is going to be classified as S-Class. I don't want to label Sasuke and Naruto as missing-nin just yet." Her voice turned brisk and businesslike, as she picked up a piece of paper, beginning to write. "Jiraiya, I want you to inform Gaara. I know he is from Suna, but I believe that if he knows Naruto left, he might be able to get away from the hellhole he calls his Village. Kakashi, go find some Sound-nin to interrogate. We need as much information about Orochimaru's various hideouts as we can get. Sakura…" Her eyes softened as the bewildered, hurt eyes looked up at her slowly. "I want you to become my apprentice."

What she didn't say, as Sakura's eyes grew wide in astonishment, was the real reason she was taking Sakura as a pupil, was so she could keep an eye on her. She was worried that Sakura might do something drastic once the knowledge that both Sasuke and Naruto had left really sunk in. She looked at Iruka, and sighed mentally. That poor man. She looked at Kakashi, and saw that the Jounin was looking at Iruka's lost face as well, sympathy shining in his one, grey eye. Making a split decision, she smirked mentally.

"Kakashi, take Iruka with you." They both snapped their heads to her, and her smirk turned physical. "He can use some time away from Konoha, and so can you. Besides, I know he has to potential to become a Jounin. Make sure he's ready to take the test when the two of you come back." Before either could gather their wits, she grinned. "Dismissed!"

They glared at her, but all three bowed and walked out the door. Shizune, who had remained quiet this entire time, gave her mentor a wary glance.

"Would you like me to put Sasuke and Naruto down for an…extended mission, Hokage?" she asked formally, and the grin slipped away from Tsunade's face. She nodded wearily as Shizune bowed, walking out the door. Now it was only her and Jiraiya, and she gave her teammate a baleful look.

"Am I doing the right thing?" she whispered, more to herself. Jiraiya nodded, slipping from his perch in the open window, and walking over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders, massaging the stressed muscles. She sighed gratefully, letting her body relax into his strong hands.

"I think you are," he said quietly. "If anyone can keep Sasuke loyal to Konoha, then it'll be Naruto. Besides. Maybe the two of them will kill Orochimaru for us." The tone was teasing, but she heard the resentment underneath it. Despite everything, Orochimaru was still a sore point for both of them. Neither would hesitate to kill him, but they were always wondering if there had been something they could do, to save their former teammate from the madness that he had fallen into.

"Now, I need to be going. I get to inform a Jinchuuriki that his only friend has decided to desert his Village. See ya!" She looked over her shoulder in time to see his big, cheery grin, before he disappeared in a poof of smoke. Sighing heavily, she looked around her empty office, eyes settling on the stacks of paperwork on either side of her desk. Groaning, she opened her desk, and pulled out her sake bottle. The paperwork could wait for awhile.

**-x-x-x-x-**

They had been traveling for a few days, only a little more than an hour's walk from the border of Oto, when they decided to stop, bath, and get something small to eat. They were both stripped naked, waist high in a warm stream, when Naruto was frozen by an intense, searching look from his partner. Swallowing a mouthful of water, he gave Sasuke a big, shit eating grin, before sighing when it didn't remove the frown on the pale face.

"What, Sasuke?" he muttered, sharper then he intended. He winced as Sasuke smirked slightly, sitting down in the water so he could tip his head back, washing it as good as he could without shampoo. Naruto was struck dumb for a few moment, watching the trails of glittering drops as they made their way down the slender chest, the long neck, gathering on the thick eyelashes…

He yelped as water was splashed on him, and he glared at the smirking Uchiha, not missing the light tint of a blush on his cheeks.

"Like what you see, baka?" Sasuke purred, making Naruto's face turn a bright red as he grumbled to himself, scrubbing his chest with more force than necessary. Laughing in delight to himself, Sasuke sobered, and continued to watch the blond.

He had been wondering about that red chakra for the past few days. He knew it wasn't a Kekkei Genkai; at least not one like the Sharingan. He was beyond curious about it, but he hadn't wanted to chase Naruto away by asking him, so he had told himself that he would just let it go. But now…after falling into an easy, trusting pattern with the blond, he knew that it would take a lot more than him asking about it, to chase Naruto away.

He also had the feeling that whatever that red, terrifying chakra was, it had to do with the way the adults had always treated his partner. He had never understood why they did, but from the feel of that chakra, he had an idea as to why. If he remembered his history right, Naruto had been born on the day the Kyuubi had been defeated by the Yondaime. The chakra he felt, was like the chakra of Gaara, the boy who had one of the demons sealed inside him. If he was right…

"Eh, Naruto…" he said musingly, making the blond look at him through a veil of wet, dark blond hair. Now it was Sasuke's turn to stare, as the sunlight caught on the drops of water that were caressing the slender scars on Naruto's cheeks. The way they slid down over that bronzed skin, as though begging for him to lick them up…

"Like what you see, teme?" Naruto snickered, ignoring the way his body responded to the way Sasuke had been looking at him. The Uchiha muttered something, and turned away, his cheeks flaming. Snorting, Naruto turned back to the water, wondering if Sasuke was going to have the nerve to ask what he was going to, before Naruto had caught him staring.

"I was wondering…" Sasuke said quietly, and closer than he had been. Naruto looked up, to find Sasuke sitting only a few feet from him, on the sandy part of the beach that was still underwater. He wasn't looking at Naruto though; instead, he was staring at a small school of fish that were out a little farther, darting around the rocks. "What was that red chakra that you used, back at the Valley?"

He looked up sharply as Naruto gasped, narrowing his eyes at the sudden tense atmosphere that surrounded him. "Naruto, I don't…"

"Eh, it's just a special ability!" the blond exclaimed, smiling at him as he scrubbed the back of his wet head. Sasuke sighed at the antics, giving his partner a level stare that had the huge, false smile falling away.

"Naruto…I understand if it's something you don't want to talk about." He did too, even if the curiosity was eating him alive. If Naruto didn't want to explain yet, he wouldn't push. "But you need to understand that I know whatever it was, it wasn't human." He paused at the darkening of the blue eyes, knowing what Naruto was doing. "Hey, baka. Did you stop to think that if I had a problem with it, I would have said something? I don't really care where you get your power." He shrugged as Naruto gave him a suspicious, slightly hopeful look, turning his eyes back to the school of fish as a slight, sardonic smile curved his lips.

"I have that Curse Mark, and I know that it's not…quite human." He glanced over at the blond, flushing slightly when he saw the knowing, amused smirk. "Anyway," he continued, flipping his wet hair out of his eyes in an imperious gesture. It was ruined though, by the spreading of his blush. "I just wanted you to know that I don't care. You're still the baka, even if you have some creepy, not human power."

"You…" Sasuke looked at him fully when Naruto spoke, determined to not let down the wary hope that was shining in the blue eyes. Naruto had left everything for him…the least he could do was not shove the blond away, or hate him like so many people in Konoha did. "You know about the Kyuubi attacking Konoha thirteen years ago, right?"

"So you do have the Kyuubi sealed in you," Sasuke breathed, making Naruto look at him in surprise. He smirked, relaxing deeper into the cool waters. "It's what I've been thinking these past few days. That red chakra was a lot like Gaara's when he used Shukaku." His smirk widened as Naruto only continued to stare. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, enjoying the sun as it warmed his skin. "It wasn't hard to put two and two together, baka."

"Then…" Naruto whispered, and Sasuke frowned at the wary tone, opening his eyes to look at his fellow shinobi. Naruto's eyes were wide in disbelief, and Sasuke's heart twisted at the bitter hope that was in them. "Then, you don't think of me as a monster?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Why the hell would I? Just because you got a demon sealed in you, doesn't mean that it's still not _you_. You're still Naruto, the dead last baka." He shrugged, liking the indignation in those blue eyes better then the dark, twisted emotions he had seen. "Besides, you were a baby. I can't hate you for something you had no control over."

"I…" Naruto swallowed hard, smiling gently as he looked down at the shifting water. He didn't even try to stop the grateful tears that slipped down his face. "Thank you, Sasuke."

His eyes opened wide as strong, slender arms wrapped around his from behind, a tender kiss placed at the junction of his shoulder and neck.

"Don't worry about it baka. We should get going though. We'll be able to make it into Oto by nightfall, if we leave now."

Naruto nodded mutely as Sasuke kissed his shoulder again, gliding out of the water and over to their clothes. It seemed so…right, being with Sasuke, out here in the sunshine. Sasuke finally knew the truth about the Kyuubi, and hadn't turned his back. They were away from Konoha, and the past that had weighed them down for their entire lives. Granted, where they were going wasn't ideal, but…but…

He grinned widely as he bounded out of the water, pulling on his clothes and attaching his various pouches and weapons. Sasuke smirked indulgently at him, calmly walking out onto the water, while Naruto still struggled to get his sandals on while standing.

"Come on baka! We don't have all day!"

"Oh yea?" he shot back, finally getting his other sandal on, and glaring at his friend. "I could beat you there with my eyes closed, teme!"

The challenging light entered the black eyes, and Naruto smirked. Was this how it was going to be? Eternal rivalry, love, and friendship? His smirk widened as Sasuke snorted in disbelief, turning and starting to walk across the small river.

"Don't flatter yourself, baka," Sasuke said over his shoulder, before launching himself into the trees, Naruto hot on his heels, a huge, cheesy grin on his face. _Oh yea_, he thought as he and Sasuke argued back and forth, throwing insults that had a familiar tone of camaraderie. _I don't mind going to Orochimaru's, if this is how it's going to be._


	3. Chapter 3

**"Bold" = Bijuu and their Hosts talking mind to mind**

_"Italics" _or_ Italics = Thoughts_

**Summary: "I apologize Temari, Kankuro," he said quietly, looking back out to the Village. "It seems you will be making the trip home alone. There are two brothers of mine out there who need my help."**

**Theme: Locking Up The Sun - Poets of the Fall**

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**Two weeks after they left…**

Gaara frowned at Jiraiya, slinging his gourd over his shoulders. "He left with Uchiha Sasuke."

The Sannin nodded, a small pleased smile on his face. This was going better then he thought. "Yep. He didn't want Sasuke going off to Orochimaru without someone backing him up, so he decided to go with him."

Gaara frowned slightly, looking out the hospital window and over the rooftops of Konoha. He didn't understand why Naruto would give up his dreams of Hokage, but he did understand why he would willingly leave the Village. If it was anything like his own, he was probably glad to be rid of the fear, and hatred that always seemed to follow Jinchuuriki around. He was snapped out of his musings by Jiraiya, when the older man cleared his throat.

"You know, Naruto and Sasuke could use some backup," he said with a shrug, not missing the slight widening of the teal eyes even though he wasn't looking at the red head. He smirked mentally, yawning and stretching to cover his smugness. "Eh, I guess it doesn't matter either way. Orochimaru will never be able to take over Sasuke's body with Naruto and the Kyuubi there."

"Then Orochimaru will find some way to get rid of Naruto," the red head deadpanned, and Jiraiya met the serious look with one of his own.

"That's true. Well, I guess there's no use thinking about it now!" He gave Gaara a huge grin, and jumped onto the ledge of the open window. He waved nonchalantly, his grin turning cheesy. "Well, I'm off to do my research! Good luck in Suna, Gaara!"

Then he was gone, a smirk on his face. That was easier then he thought it would be.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Gaara smirked slightly as he watched Jiraiya leave, turning when his siblings entered the room, both of them fully dressed. They were all released from the hospital today, and already set to go home. But…his eyes narrowed. Where was home? Was home Suna, where he was ostracized because of something he had no control over? Where he was hated and feared because of the Bijuu inside him? With Naruto, he could truly be himself, and not have to worry about being thought of as that 'demon-child'. Sasuke might fear him, but if he could accept Naruto, couldn't he accept Gaara as well?

"Gaara?"

He turned at the tentative sound, smiling slightly. He knew it was a scary sight for his siblings, even as they both tensed at the look on his face.

"I apologize Temari, Kankuro," he said quietly, looking back out to the Village. "It seems you will be making the trip home alone."

He jumped onto the same ledge that Jiraiya had just disappeared through, and paused. He glanced over his shoulder at his two shocked siblings, smirking.

"I am entrusting the welfare of our Village to you both. Since father is gone, one of you needs to take the mantle of Kazekage, no one else. If I hear that someone else became Kazekage, and not one of you, I will kill them, and will keep killing them until one of you takes the title. Am I understood?"

They were both deathly pale by that point, but they nodded eagerly.

"Ye…yes, we understand Gaara," Kankuro stuttered, but Temari said nothing, only taking a few steps closer to him.

"Where will you go?" she asked quietly, though by the tone of her voice, she knew. He smirked slightly, letting his eyes close in lazy pleasure as the wind ruffled his hair.

"Somewhere I won't be hated or feared," he whispered quietly, before leaping from the window.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Gaara was bathing in the same stream, that only weeks earlier, Naruto and Sasuke had stopped at. He lay down on the sandy beach, letting the water wash over his body, his eyes closed against the warm afternoon sun. For once, it seemed that he and his demon were in accord. Shukaku had made no noise against going after his fellow shinobi, and had since been silent as they traveled the breadth of Hi no Kuni. Even though he was only a day away from Oto, he somehow doubted that they were there. Orochimaru was known for only staying in one place for a few months at a time, and Gaara knew that even though Sasuke and Naruto went to Oto originally, Orochimaru would have moved them as soon as he had the two in his grasp.

"**Eh, Gaara,"** Shukaku said quietly, and Gaara opened his eyes slightly in shock. It was rare for the demon to actually speak, without trying to get him to kill something, or release him.

"**What do you want Shukaku?"** he asked his prisoner, his mental voice cold. His eyes opened fully when he felt the demon wince, utterly surprised. What the hell was going on with the Bijuu?

"**I…have been in contact with my sibling, the Kyuubi,"** Shukaku said, his voice full of…something that Gaara couldn't quite place. He was on his feet and getting dressed , badgering the demon inside for where the two were located. He was quite surprised at what the demon shouted at him, in the middle of his mental tirade.

"**I am going to train you!"**

Gaara stopped in the middle of pulling a sandal on, balanced on one foot. Slowly he put his foot down, eyes narrowing. **"What do you mean, you are going to train me?"**

"**Exactly what I said. Even I know what will happen if that snake bastard gets the Sharingan from Sasuke. The Kyuubi doesn't want that to happen, anymore then Naruto does. If you plan on going after them to help Naruto and Sasuke, then you need my help."**

Gaara sat down slowly, closing his eyes as he began to meditate. Swiftly he was drawn into his mindscape, looking around emotionlessly at the dark, barren desert that was his mind. A pulse of demonic chakra came from behind him, and he turned slowly, coming face to face with Shukaku in his human form. The size and facial features were the same as Gaara's, except the demon had midnight purple hair that reached down to his waist, and burning yellow pupils, surrounded by black. He wore a plain, sand colored kimono, with the same purple marking that were on his demon body. Around his neck and wrists were bands of plain black iron, the only symbol of his imprisonment.

Shukaku sat down gracefully, and Gaara moved to do the same, though his movements were wary. He had never had a civilized conversation with Shukaku before, and he was worried. He knew he could keep the demon from taking over his mind – he had enough practice – but never before had he seen the madness of the Bijuu's bloodlust pushed back far enough for an intelligence that far surpassed his own to shine though. Admittedly, he was impressed.

"You are not the stupid beast that everyone claims you to be," he said finally, as a soft wind began to blow across the desert. Shukaku shook his head, huffing a little in annoyance.

"No, I am not. And neither are my siblings, the other Bijuu. That is not what you came here to discuss, Subaku no Gaara."

Gaara showed nothing at the use of his full title, only a slight twitch of his eyes indicating his surprise. Gracefully, he bowed his head. "You are correct, Ichibi. I came to discuss this training."

"You lack any sort of muscle," the demon began harshly, letting his cold black eyes wander over Gaara's lithe frame. "You do not know any sort of taijutsu, and my sand barrier will only protect you from so much. In essence," the Bijuu smiled sadistically, as Gaara began to get worried, "you need to start over from scratch. And I am going to be your sensei."

Gaara stared at him for a long moment, thoughts whirling through his head. Now that he knew the Bijuu were intelligent, he could see the merits of accepting the training. He also knew that the Bijuu were essentially immortal, so there was no telling what Shukaku could teach him. However, Shukaku was a Bijuu, and he had lived with this particular demon for his entire life. He knew that Shukaku reveled in trying to take him over, to push his mind to the limits of his sanity, and then over, just to watch Gaara lose it and slaughter those around him. Not that he minded the slaughter too much, but to have it not be his decision galled him quite a bit.

"What do you get from it?" he asked, and Shukaku smiled toothily.

"Ah, ever the one to look a gift horse in the mouth." Shukaku nodded in approval, propping his face on one hand, and smiling broadly enough to reveal his fangs. "Once we meet up with the Kyuubi and his whelp, then I will have a human form. The Kyuubi's specialty is fuuinjutsu after all."

Gaara perked up at that, a bolt of dread going through him. "A human form? In the real world?"

Shukaku only looked at him as though he was retarded. "Of course in the real world you idiot!" Shukaku scoffed, before quieting and staring at Gaara. He stared long enough that a tic started in the red heads eye. He was thrown even more off balance when a certain light of admiration entered the yellow eyes.

"I respect you kid. I always have. You're the only one that has actually grown up with me inside them without going completely, and utterly batshit crazy."

"So I'm the only one you couldn't drive completely insane," Gaara mused, smirking a little when Shukaku nodded. He found himself oddly enjoying this conversation with the demon, now that he wasn't trying to be controlled. "Does that mean, if I agree to the training, that you will stop trying to take over my mind?"

Shukaku stared at him for a long moment, before folding in on himself in a burst of laughter. "Fat chance kid. I rather enjoy the fights we have for your mind." Scarily enough, they both shared an identical smirk. "I will promise you though, when I can get my own body, I will stop trying to take over your mind."

Gaara thought about this, as a particular thought came to the forefront of his mind. "Once you get your own body, does that mean that we will be separate beings?" Shukaku raised an eyebrow at the intelligent question, muttering something about him being 'too damn smart for your own good'. Then he sighed as Gaara smirked, hearing the mumbled words.

"No," he ground out reluctantly. "We will not be able to be free from each other until you are old and grey. Right now, if you die, then so do I. Once you get older, and your chakra pathways wear down with age, we will be able to separate."

"But…" Gaara said slowly, his mind working around that as he frowned in thought. "The Bijuu are immortal beings I am assuming. Even if my body died, surely you would not."

Shukaku fidgeted a little at that. "That might be true, but I have had only two other Hosts, and they were able to live to old age. I was able to break the seal, and neither of us died from it. I would rather not chance you dying on me, and having that theory of us being immortal challenged."

Gaara stared at the twitching Bijuu for a long, long time. Shukaku remained silent, staring back as Gaara worked through what he had been told, and what he had been offered. He weighed the pros and cons of the offer, thoughts of Naruto and Sasuke going through his head. Shukaku was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He pretty much relied on the sand to protect him and act as his weapon, having never needed to learn taijutsu, or any of the others. If he didn't want to be a burden to his brothers when he caught up to them, then this training was something that he definitely needed to do. His decision made, he looked his demon firmly in the eyes.

"I accept your offer. What do you want me to do first?"

Shukaku smiled wickedly, and snapped his fingers. Gaara started, his eyes flying open to the sunlight reflecting off the stream. He frowned, sending it to his demon.

"**That was unnecessary, Shukaku,"** he grumbled, as he put his sandal on, slightly annoyed when the demon chuckled, the sound rumbling in his mind.

"**Suck it up kid. First thing were going to do, is physical training. You have a lot of muscle you need to build up, as well as getting finer control of your chakra. There is a small country to the west of here that borders Hi and Oto. It is a country with very little civilization, covered in dense rain forest. It will be perfect for the training I will put you through, and the techniques that I want you to learn."**

Gaara was silent as he slung the gourd over his back, a string of salted fish hanging from it so they could dry. He made sure that he had his pouch, which contained various things that he would need. All his weapons were in their right places, and he had his water bottle. Looking around him, he sighed silently. This was going to be a very, very long trip, and he only hoped that Naruto and Sasuke were still around when he was done.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Itachi snarled mentally as he looked around at his fellow members, his face as blank and peaceful as a painting. He knew how to hide his emotions, which was how he had gotten though his life. It was the reason why he could bitch and complain in his head with no one the wiser. Except perhaps Kisame, but he was in a different league.

_Stupid ingrates!_ He fumed silently to himself. _Are those in charge of Konoha so senile that they let two boys go off to that snakes den alone? If I had known they were leaving, I would have gone and gotten them myself! It doesn't matter that Sasuke would try to kill me; at least I would know that both of them were safe!_

He let his mind wander as he listened to the conversation with one ear, since it was mainly centered on Naruto and Gaara. Both of them had turned up missing, Naruto going with Sasuke, and Gaara presumably off to find them. No one knew where _any_ of them were, and that was the most disconcerting thing.

He could honestly care less. He never wanted Sasuke to leave Konoha, to desert his pride in the Village that raised them both. He briefly closed his eyes, opening them when he sensed someone looking at him. He locked eyes briefly with Deidara, the blond smirking arrogantly before looking away. Shrugging a bit, he went back to his thoughts, turning his eyes to look out the small window in the room they were gathered.

He briefly remembered those few times he had saved Naruto from mobs of people, he and Kakashi the only ones who ever seemed to care about the Jinchuuriki. It was sad really, that a Village that prides itself on being understanding and open, would turn their backs so quickly on a child that didn't have a choice. He had often wondered what it would have been like if he had grabbed Naruto and Sasuke, taking them far away from Konoha. At least then the three of them could have lived in peace, far away from the scheming and plotting of the Elders of Konoha. He caught a question directed at him, and turned his eyes back to the flickering hologram of Pein.

"He is no concern of mine," he said quietly, looking back to his window with no expression.

"That's cold Itachi," Deidara scoffed, his blue eyes narrowed as Itachi glanced at him. "You don't care that your little brother gave himself to that snake? You know what Orochimaru will do to him."

Itachi shrugged, even though inside he was itching to catch the blond asshole in a genjutsu, and torture him for a few days. "He made his choice."

"But – "

"Stop it Deidara," Sasori said sharply. "Do you want Itachi to kill you?" Deidara's mouth snapped with an audible click, and the Pein hologram sighed.

"There isn't much we can do about the Kyuubi and Ichibi Jinchuuriki right now. Concentrate on getting the others. We'll worry about those two later." The hologram disappeared, as did everyone else but Kisame and Itachi. Itachi waited until everyone was gone on purpose before standing, and silently walking out of the room, Kisame following.

They walked all afternoon before stopping at a small cave they had used before, close to the border of Fire Country. They were both still silent as they gathered wood for a fire, Itachi lightning it with a small Katon. They made their nightly tea, and it was still awhile before Itachi spoke.

"I wonder what would have happened if I had taken both of them with me," he mused out loud, making Kisame start. The shark man had been expecting angry words, not these sad, wishful ones.

"You mean Naruto and Sasuke," he stated, knowing that's who Itachi was speaking about, but wanting to make sure. His companion nodded once, and Kisame shrugged. "You can't change the past Itachi, no matter how much you want to. It's useless wasting your time thinking about it."

Itachi was silent for a long moment, letting those words play in his head. Finally, he smirked slightly, leaning back to rest on his elbows as he looked up at the sky from the clearing in front of the cave. "Maybe I should go kill Orochimaru then, and save everyone some trouble." The only response he got was a grunt from Kisame, and his smirk widened a little. "You are starting to sound like me."

Kisame laughed softly, and a companionable silence stretched out between them, both of them lost in thought.

"You won't kill Orochimaru," Kisame started, hating the fact that the temperature around them just dropped about 10 degrees, but he was going to finish what he wanted to say. "You won't, because you and I both know that snake will give Sasuke the knowledge to kill you."

"Hn. Maybe." He left it at that, and was happy that Kisame did too, his companion soon rolling over and going to sleep. Lying flat, with his hands behind his head, Itachi stared at the starry sky, letting the guilt wash over him completely.

No, he wouldn't kill Orochimaru, because Kisame was right. Sasuke was the only one he would give his life to, because Sasuke was the only one who deserved the right to kill him. Itachi only continued living with the acidic guilt from killing his Clan, because he knew that his younger brother needed him as an obstacle to overcome. Once Sasuke was strong enough to kill him, then he would know his brother was strong enough to live in a world without him.

Closing his eyes, he sent a silent prayer out to Naruto. _Don't let him die, Uzumaki Naruto._ _If you do, not even the Kyuubi will be able to save you from me._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, whelp," the Kitsune hissed, making the child flinch reflectively. "I am not the mindless, stupid beast that everyone believes that I am. Now, sit down."**

**Theme: Inside The Fire - Disturbed**

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**1 year later**

"You are hopeless, Naruto-kun."

Naruto glared at Orochimaru, breathing harshly as he crossed his fingers and created more Kage Bunshin. He was bitterly regretting the thoughts he had before they had finally found Orochimaru. He _very much_ minded now, even if he and Sasuke had gotten ridiculously stronger.

"Shut the hell up, snake. I don't need your fucking attitude," the blond growled, launching him and the clones forward for yet another attack. Orochimaru only laughed; a small, mocking, merciless sound as he readied himself.

They had been at it for awhile now, the Sannin wanting to see exactly how much stamina the fox boy had. By taking turns with Kabuto, it was only now after two days, that Naruto seemed to be at the end of his chakra. Orochimaru licked his lips in anticipation as he blocked another clumsy, tired blow, waiting for the moment the blond would have to use the Kitsune's chakra. It would be soon, he was sure. And once the blond was forced to use the Kyuubi's, he would have every right to unleash everything in his arsenal, his defense being that he only protected himself. Then Sasuke would be alone, without the presence of the most powerful Host.

Over the past year, Orochimaru had watched the blond, constantly amazed at the seemingly endless chakra that Naruto possessed. Not only that, but not once had Naruto's chakra ever been tainted red; not once had his eyes ever even shone with a hint of crimson. Kabuto had done a physical six months ago, when Orochimaru had approached the med-nin with questions about his charges. It seemed that Naruto's chakra pathways were nearly twice as large as normal shinobi's. No doubt from the Kyuubi being sealed inside him since he was an infant, but it made his own chakra reserves double that of normal capacity. That was without having to rely on the Bijuu's chakra too.

After all the clones were destroyed, Naruto collapsed heavily onto one knee, feeling the sweat as it rolled down his body and hating the feeling. He hated that empty aching in his body, signaling to him that he was nearly at the end of his own chakra. His eyes looked at his own abdomen, and he growled softly at the thought that he would be forced to use _its_ chakra if this kept up any longer. Then there were no more thoughts as a soft sound reached his ears, and he was moving even as Orochimaru's sword crashed into the ground where he had been, leaving a crater.

"Hey you bastard!" he snarled as he landed on his feet and brought his kunai's around. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Orochimaru only laughed, the sound making Naruto's blood run cold as he started to mentally berate himself. Of course the damn snake would be trying to kill him. Naruto was the only thing standing between Sasuke and him. It finally sunk in that he was alone in this cavern with the man. Not even Kabuto was around, having gone off somewhere to train Sasuke in the medical arts.

"Of course Naruto-kun," the snake man drawled, and Naruto repressed an instinctive, repulsed shiver at the oily tone, keeping his face blank. "As long as you are here, I will never have Sasuke-kun to myself. However," his tongue flicked out to lick along his blade, and Naruto saw that he was licking up some of his blood, and finally shivered, "we all know how reckless you can be while training. If you die, and I can prove it was an accident…" He shrugged, and Naruto's hands tightened on the hilts of his weapons, his aching body automatically falling into a defensive position. He wasn't being paranoid either, because as soon as he did, Orochimaru was flying at him with blinding fast speeds, and he tried to dodge, he really did.

Before he could move though, he felt the sword pierce directly through his heart, making his eyes go wide as pain burned through every vein in his body. Then the bastard _twisted_ it, and he knew that his heart was now sliced in two pieces inside his chest. He found enough energy to growl though, his kunai falling from numb hands as he glared up at the man. Red liquid was pouring from his chest, faster than even the Kyuubi could heal it. He felt the red chakra try to escape the seal, and with the last of his strength, he forced it away. He would rather die then use the Kyuubi's chakra again.

_Fuck_…_I AM going to die…_

"Bastard…" he hissed out, and fell into blackness with the sounds or Orochimaru's delighted laughter ringing in his ears.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke blinked in the darkness of Kabuto's lab, his onyx eyes narrowed. He had felt…

They widened dramatically as the very rock around them shivered in response to the massive chakra that had been unleashed. Sasuke was gone, racing through the maze of underground channels to where he felt the Kyuubi's chakra, Kabuto right behind him.

On the surface, he was calm, and to some extent, he was mentally as well. However, it hid something dangerous. The icy, deadly rage that was sweetly flowing into his veins, because the nearer he got to where the chakra had come from, the more he was realizing that he couldn't feel Naruto's chakra at all. All he could feel was the Kyuubi's.

He knew that they had been testing Naruto's stamina. Hell, Naruto had even agreed to it, even though Sasuke hadn't thought it was a good idea. He still didn't like the fact that Naruto had been fighting endlessly for the past few days, even though the blond had been as curious as the snake as to what his limit had been. However, the deal had been to test _only_ Naruto's chakra. Not the Kyuubi's.

His eyes narrowed into black slits as he rounded a corner, feeling goose bumps break out all over his skin with the instinctive response to the overwhelming chakra coming from the chamber ahead. _If Orochimaru pushed him far enough that he had to use the Kyuubi's chakra, he __**will**__ die._

With that satisfying thought in his head, he barreled into the door, shattering it to pieces. What he found made all thoughts of killing Orochimaru leave his mind.

**-x-x-x-x-**

The Kyuubi watched the confrontation through Naruto's eyes, cocking his massive head to the side as he studied the facial expressions of Orochimaru.

_He really does want to get rid of my Host,_ he thought with mild astonishment, but no surprise. He had watched the snake ever since that Uchiha and Naruto had joined him, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Orochimaru made his move to get rid of Naruto. The Kyuubi had been waiting with bated breath for Naruto to call on his chakra, so he could take over and rip the snakes head from his body. However, not once in the past year of training, had his Host ever called on his chakra. Also, because of that, the Kyuubi hadn't gotten a chance to tell his Host that Gaara and Shukaku were slowly making their way towards them with the Kyuubi's guidance. They would probably be at their location in a matter of days, and the Kyuubi was looking forward to the first spar between the Hosts.

During his moment of inattention, his chest felt as though it collapsed, and the demon coughed harshly in the wetness of his cell. Returning his attention to Naruto, he narrowed his eyes in anger, his chakra flaring out of his control for a moment, attempting to heal the wound in Naruto's heart. _That fucking snake_, he hissed mentally, and snarled in shocked surprise as Naruto shoved his chakra away. He knew that his Host didn't like using his chakra, and he knew why. The Bijuu's chakra was addicting for mortals, as was the true, instinctual nature of his fellow siblings. It also didn't help that it tested the Host's sanity every single time.

His heart stuttered in his chest, and the demon snarled loudly, grabbing Naruto's mind, and dragging him down so he could convince his Host that his life wasn't worth _not_ using his chakra. _Stupid, stupid human_, he thought in annoyance, ignoring the slight hint of worry that nagged his rage filled heart.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"…at…"

Naruto felt himself swim groggily back to awareness, wondering if he was dead.

"…rat!..."

Opening his eyes slightly, he found himself staring up at a wet, dank, rusted ceiling, and frowned slightly in confusion. Where the hell was he if he was dead?

"Brat! Get the fuck up!"

He scrambled to his feet at the commanding roar, breathing harshly as he looked around wildly for the source of the attack. Deep, malicious laughter rang through the area, and he frowned in confusion. He knew that laugh…did that mean?

"I'm not dead, am I?" he asked deadpan, looking straight ahead and finding what he sought.

"Unfortunately no," the Kitsune said, glaring at him with slight amusement through the bars.

Nodding decisively Naruto sat down, propping his chin on one hand as he looked through the bars. "I'm guessing that you brought me here, since I was about to die." The demon nodded once, grudging respect in its crimson eyes.

"Even though you were about to die, you still didn't draw on my chakra. Why?" the Kitsune demanded, and Naruto shrugged, looking away.

"Considering the way using your chakra makes me feel, I would rather die than want to feel like that again." He didn't even move as a roar came from inside the cage, a large paw slashing out at him through the bars. He merely sat there, glaring at the demon with fear tinged hatred.

"You insolent retch! Do you not understand if you die, then so do I? I will not have you die while I am still trapped in this…this…meat bag you call a body!" The Kyuubi was in a fury, pacing back and forth inside the cage, ranting about stupid humans, and their stupid ways, and stupid this and that. Naruto snickered, though quietly, because he didn't want to get the Kitsune's anger directed at him. He zoned out slightly, wondering if his body was dead yet, until the Kyuubi got to one section that caught Naruto's ears, making him perk up and actually contribute to the one-sided conversation.

"Wait," he said loudly. The demon turned and glared out of his cage, growling impatiently as he waited for Naruto to continue. "How much of what you just said is true?" He knew better then to trust a Bijuu, but…

The beast scoffed, lying down once again with his head on his paws, glaring arrogantly at the blond. Mentally, Naruto rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised that not even the Kyuubi could have an arrogant glare like his Uchiha.

"Of course everything I just said is true! What do I look like brat? Some untrained whelp like you? I have lived for thousands of years. I have seen the evolution of the shinobi, and the development of the different Villages." He scoffed and continued to rant about humanity, and Naruto had to marvel at the fact that he, and the Kyuubi, were actually having a semi-civilized conversation. Then his attention returned to the conversation, and his eyes narrowed, turning sharp.

"So you and the other Bijuu were the ones that showed us original humans how to mold chakra?" he asked sarcastically, interrupting the Kitsune mid word. The Kyuubi straightened, ears perking forward as a sliver of his sharp teeth were revealed in a snarl.

"You _dare_ to call me a liar, you _child_."

Naruto stubbornly stuck out his chin in a childish gesture, but his eyes were glittering with dangerous sincerity. The Kitsune snarled silently to himself, seeing the determined stance. He hated it when Naruto got like this. The damn boy was more stubborn then one human had a right to be.

"I don't believe you," Naruto ground out, making the Kyuubi snarl, but the blonds' voice rose over his, something like hysteria in its rough tones. "I don't! _You_ are the reason why the Yondaime is gone! You were the one that killed all those shinobi when you attack–"

He didn't even have time to react before the Kitsune's paw was smashing down on him, sending him into the water. Even struggling against the heavy foot, he could hear every word being growled at him with deadly intent. He was more scared of losing his life in that moment, then the entire year he had spent with Orochimaru.

"Don't you dare to presume to know why I attacked Konoha you whelp! You have no right to question me, or to assume that you know anything about the Bijuu!"

He took his paw off and Naruto scrambled to his feet, throwing himself backwards until he leaned against the far wall across from the cage. He swiped the water from his face as he gasped for air, occasionally coughing out liquid. Yet he still glared defiantly at the beast confined behind the bars.

"You are a demon! You kill humans! Look at what you did to Konoha and the other places –"

He was a bit more prepared for the next smack of the giant paw, having moved far enough away it couldn't actually touch him, but not for the burst of molten, terrifying chakra that rushed out. It made his skin feel like it was being stripped from his skin by a red hot scalpel.

"How many other places have you heard of that the Bijuu have attacked, Uzumaki Naruto?" the Kitsune asked, his voice a gentle, horrible purr. Naruto froze as sweat began to roll down his face as he frantically racked his brain, not willing to defy the subtle demand in the Kitsune's voice that clearly wanted an answer.

"I…I only know…of two others…" he said timidly, and cringed closer to the wall as a cruel, sensuous chuckle echoed off the walls.

"You are correct, whelp. There are Nine Bijuu. Then why is it, if we are such bloodthirsty monsters only intent on killing, you have only heard of three Villages that have been attacked?"

Naruto's mouth worked as the information went through his head, eyes narrowing. He wasn't stupid. If the Bijuu had attacked more often, it would have been in books, or someone would have known something about it. He would have heard _something_ about a Bijuu attacking a Village, past, or present. Not including Gaara of course.

"So why do you guys have the reputation that you have?" he said before his brain could think, flinching at the sharp look from in the cage. "Sorry, but there must be some reason you all are painted like that."

The Kitsune glared at him for a moment longer, before elegantly lowering his head onto his crossed paws. He wasn't sure he should answer the question, but as a Host, Naruto had a right to know about the Bijuu more than anyone. "I will not deny that we are demons, or that we do crave destruction and death. I do not know of my true origins, and neither do my siblings. My first memory, is opening my eyes to a vast reach of mountains. My first feeling, was an unknown thirst that could not be quenched with water."

Naruto was drawn forward a few steps by his own enthrallment in the story, but he cringed back when the Kitsune smiled. The sharp grin was filled with dark, sadistic pleasure.

"I found out soon enough what it needed to be sated, however. At the time, you humans could barely be considered such, and the world was populated by large beings such as ourselves. The first time I encountered a snake…" The Kyuubi flicked his tongue out in remembered bliss, chuckling deeply in his furry chest. "They were forced to evolve rather quickly after our appearance, and as they did, so did we. You know them as summons."

Naruto's mouth gaped slightly, and the Kitsune couldn't help but watch with curiosity as his face slowly turned red, then purple...

"THAT STUPID BOSS!" Naruto finally shouted, stomping up to the cage with a furious expression on his face. "He never told me! I'm gonna kick his ass the next time I summon him!"

"Whelp," the Bijuu cut in, surprisingly enjoying the conversation with his Host. "You realize that they probably don't remember anything about us. As soon as they learned how to live in a different dimension, all of them left, until the Bijuu were the only ones left besides the humans. The only reason you humans know how to summon them, is because we like having a bit of sport every now and then."

Naruto scowled up at the Kyuubi, but a contemplative look was in his eyes. "Then you really did teach us how to mold our chakra. What the hell happened after all the summons left though? Is that when you taught us?" Naruto's voice rose excitedly, and – gentler then before…a little – the Kitsune swiped him back down into the water.

"Since the humans were the only ones left," he rumbled, watching the blond shake himself off like a pissed cat. "We took a…well, a mostly human shape, and wandered amongst you. We watched you learn about chakra, but not how to mold it. We knew of the darker side of humanity, and we used it to our advantage." He growled softly as Naruto opened his mouth to protest, making his jaws click together with a snap. The Kitsune glared at him a moment longer, making sure the blond was actually going to stay quiet, before continuing. "We are beings of death and destruction, regardless of how intelligent we are. It is something that we revel in, and humans were perfect. We each took a tribe of you, and taught your ancestors the fundamentals. Then we sent you off to go play."

"So we were like a fucking game for the Bijuu?" he demanded, and the Kyuubi looked down at him lazily, finding amusement in revealing to the blond exactly how his precious shinobi had come about.

"When you describe it like that, then I would have to agree. We pitted you against one another, and we also were revered as gods. It was only as time went on, and the humans grew to numerous for us to control reliably, that we wandered away. Then we only watched as our destructive ways were imprinted onto humanity. That was roughly a thousand years ago, if my memory serves me correctly."

"I want you to teach me."

The Kitsune raised his head slowly at the sudden, unexpected demand, glaring at the blond who was now standing at the bars of his cage, his bright blue eyes determined, if a little sick at what the Kyuubi had just revealed. He scoffed, though inside he was startled. He didn't know of any other Hosts that had ever asked for training from their Bijuu. He knew of Hosts that were in accord with their Bijuu, but never one that _asked_ for training.

He contemplated actually teaching the whelp, tilting his massive head to the side and looking down at the small, skinny, underweight blond that was asking him. He remembered the fierce determination in the same blue eyes, from underneath the same wild mop of blond hair, and sighed mentally. He couldn't deny that he hated the Yondaime for sealing him, but he hated Uchiha Madara more, and he didn't hate Naruto at all, truthfully. He resented the blond for being his physical cage, but didn't hate him. The Kyuubi understood that Naruto didn't have a choice, any more than he did.

The Kitsune grinned sharply and with much amusement as the child fidgeted under his scrutiny, his hands going behind his head, his eyes to the ground. This was the same baby that he had only gotten a single view of, before he had been sealed. Since then, he has looked out from those bright eyes, and heard the thoughts in that blond head. He remembered the loneliness and despair the small child had gone through, at the hands of the very people who he had been created to protect.

A low snarl reverberated through the room, making Naruto take a step back, swallowing convulsively.

Everything Naruto went through as a child, as an innocent, was because of his father. He absolutely _hated_ the Yondaime for what he did to Naruto. The man should have known better, because it is the nature of humans to hate what they cannot understand. That was also not a trait they inherited from the Bijuu. That particular quirk of human evolution came about after the Bijuu had been labeled as myths by humanity.

Even though the Bijuu still killed the innocents – they where beings of a destructive, bloodthirsty nature after all – they were always the ones to be put down mercifully. Even the Bijuu had some sort of guidelines for right and wrong. What Minato did to his boy, was wrong: and all because of his blind belief in the good side of human nature. Yet and still, there was a grudging respect for the man, because the Kyuubi had heard the last, whispered words of the man to his son, before he finished the sealing.

"_I'm sorry Naruto. I can't let someone else do, what I am not willing…"_

The Kitsune sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment as he contemplated his two decisions. He could honor the respect that both father and son had earned, or continue to fight against his Host. If the seal were to be broken, he would probably live since he was an immortal being, but Naruto would not. Their chakra was to closely entwined at the moment, since Naruto was climbing towards the peak of his ability. _Or,_ he mused, examining the memories he had of the child, _I could satisfy my curiosity, and see how his life plays out._

He could wait until Naruto was older, allowing his Host to reach an old age, helping him protect his precious people. That way, the lonely child would be a happy man, and only one hundred years at the most would be out of the Kyuubi's long life. Also, once Naruto was older, his chakra pathways would begin to decay with age, and the Kyuubi would be able to break the seal and leave, without causing Naruto to die.

His decision made, he opened his eyes to find that Naruto had wandered away, and the Kyuubi couldn't see, smell, or sense him at all. He went from calm to pissed in the space of a heartbeat, and roared his annoyance out, listening with satisfaction as it bounced loudly on the rusted metal walls. _That will get the damn meat bag to get his ass back here._

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto eyed the Kyuubi, his head tilted to the side, wondering if the beast had gone to sleep. Shrugging silently, Naruto slipped backwards, steadily making his way out of the chamber, and down the hall. He remembered seeing different doors every time he went to the cage, and had often wondered what was behind them. Now seemed like a perfect time to explore, since he knew from experience that the time spent inside his mind was not the same as the outside world. When he returned, it would only be a few seconds after he had been dragged in here by the Kyuubi.

Stepping around the corner, he encountered his first one, directly on his left hand side. Stopping in front of it, Naruto examined the rusted metal, frowning. He didn't really understand why his mindscape was rundown. He knew the reason of course, because this was what his mind always felt like, but since it was his mind, should he be able to change it? Make everything not so…dank?

He sighed in annoyance, grumbling softly to himself as he reached out for the door handle. Just as his fingers grazed it, a loud roar shattered his eardrums and he sank to his knees, hands clapped over his ears. He idly wondered through the teeth gritting pain, if this was how it felt to be inside a drum when someone was beating on it.

Waiting until it died down, he rose again, rubbing his ears with a seriously peeved expression on his face. Sauntering back around the corner, he waltzed right up to the cage, glaring up at the equally pissed beast.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Naruto demanded, only to be silenced when a paw came lashing out, flicking him in the chest before he could move. He flew backwards, hitting the far wall with an 'oomph', and a burst of water. Naruto sat in the liquid for a moment, panting and stunned.

"Now you listen to me you whelp. I am going to train you, and I will help you protect those you want to. On one condition."He snickered as Naruto jumped to his feet, hope gleaming in his eyes, until the Kitsune got to his last statement. Then the hope died, and wariness took its place.

"What condition?" the blond asked cautiously, and the Kyuubi nodded his approval at the emotion.

"It's good of you to be wary of me, but in this instance, I assure you it is not needed. In order to train you, I need to have a physical body." He didn't, not really, but Naruto didn't need to know that. The blond was already nodding his head seriously, and the Kyuubi wanted to get out into the real world for awhile, even if it was only to train the whelp. But to do that, he needed to give Naruto a crash course in Sealing. It pissed him off to no end that he, a Bijuu that had studied the Sealing Arts for the past several centuries, couldn't find a way to break the Yondaime's seal without his Host's help. However, now that he would have Naruto's cooperation, he may not be able to break the seal, but Naruto could modify it a bit to allow the Kyuubi a semi-physical body.

A slow, predatory smile revealed his gleaming fangs, and Naruto froze, eyes wide. Oh the blond was going to hate him, and probably would for awhile, until he realized how nice of a gift it is.

He gathered his chakra, and _shimmered_ in the cage, growing smaller. By condensing his chakra, and with his perfect chakra control, changing shape wasn't a big deal for him, or any of the Bijuu. He solidified back into a human shape, idly shaking the long, floor length mane of hair he always liked having. He cocked a sardonic eyebrow at the wide eyed Naruto on the other side of the bars, reaching up a clawed hand and beckoning him through the bars. After a brief moment of hesitation, Naruto walked through, his eyes only getting wider the closer he came to the human Kyuubi.

"How did you do that?" he asked quietly, awed at what he had just seen. To have that fine of chakra control, to be able to condense that much chakra into that small of a body…wow. He was utterly speechless in awe.

"I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, whelp," the Kitsune hissed, making the child flinch reflectively. "I am not the mindless, stupid beast that everyone believes that I am. Now, sit down." His voice was a clear command, and Naruto had been a shinobi for too long to ignore it. He sat immediately, his legs crossed, and slowly, he frowned in annoyance at his own actions. With an amused smirk, the Kitsune knelt in front of him, reaching his hands out. He paused when Naruto flinched, and drew back.

"I should probably tell you what I am going to do," he grumbled to himself, snarling silently at the nervous nod of the blond head. He relented, lowering his hands into his lap. "I am going to imprint on your brain my knowledge of seals. It will hurt. You will scream, and you will cry, and this will hurt for days afterwards. If I was not here to heal you, this would kill you." Naruto paled dramatically at that, his mouth working as the Kitsune watched him curiously. He wondered if the whelp would have the courage to ask anything, or keep silent.

"I will have all your knowledge of seals," he finally managed, and the Kyuubi nodded solemnly. Naruto swallowed hard, his eyes turning to sharp sapphire. He nodded his head a few times, taking a deep breath. Then he looked directly into the Kitsune's crimson eyes, and smirked.

"Do it."

With a gleeful, sadistic smirk, the Kitsune reached out and without warning, sunk his claws into Naruto's scalp and through his skull. As soon as they pierced the bone, blood pouring out from the shallow wounds, he ruthlessly began to transfer his knowledge on sealing directly into Naruto's brain. At the same time, as beautiful screams filled his cage, he savagely flooded the human body with his healing chakra, absently noticing that the boy's nose, ears, and eyes were bleeding. He let them bleed, concentrating on the brain itself as his knowledge viciously tore it apart, and put it back where he wanted it to be. He only healed the other parts of the body when Naruto was in danger of bleeding out, or chocking on his own blood since he was screaming so loud.

The Kyuubi sighed happily. What made this amazing was that the whelp had told him to do it. His eyes sharpened on the scrawny frame, and the smirk deepened in perverse pleasure. _While I'm at it, I might as well…_

**-x-x-x-x-**

Only a few moments after his weapon entered the boys heart, Orochimaru leapt back from the child when the terrifying, cloying chakra of the Kyuubi exploded from the dying boy. He watched with a smirk, eyes taking in the wound that was healed in a flash. They narrowed in surprise however, when Naruto's skin began to _writhe_.

Not only was blood pouring from his ears, eyes, and nose, it was also bubbling up from his throat as his body was torn apart, and pushed back together. The blonds screams echoed through the cavern, the teen drawing as quick a breath as he could, before screaming again in utter, all consuming pain. Only one word came from the Sannin's mouth as he watched the spectacle, a slight smirk on his lips.

"Beautiful…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: Naruto couldn't think, he couldn't move. All he could do was _feel_ as the Kitsune ripped apart his mind and body, putting them back together the way he wanted it.**

**Theme: Perfect Insanity - Disturbed**

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"What did you do to him?" Sasuke demanded, advancing towards Orochimaru. The Sannin only glanced at him, before looking back to the screaming blond. Sasuke would have gone and helped him, but the Kyuubi's chakra had turned the floor surrounding Naruto white hot, almost liquefying the stone. All he could do was stand there helplessly, and he hated being helpless, so he turned it into anger. He knew that Naruto refused to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra because of the toll it had on the blonds mind. They had discussed it at length numerous times, always wondering if there was a way to somehow get the Kyuubi out of his body without him dying.

The only reason that he could think of for Naruto to be using the Kyuubi's chakra right now, was that Orochimaru had tried to kill him, and the Kyuubi took over so Naruto wouldn't die.

"We were merely sparring Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said with false sweetness, not even looking back to him. Sasuke knew the look in those golden snake eyes, and knew Orochimaru had planned this in some shape or form. His onyx eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I know. What did you do to him that forced the Kyuubi's chakra out?" he asked evenly, the tone deadly with its lack of emotion. Orochimaru only cocked an eyebrow in his direction, his freakishly long tongue flicking out to lick his lips. Sasuke shuddered in his own mind, frowning slightly in disgust.

"A mere accident, I assure you."

Sasuke's hand was already out and ready to grab the snakes collar, when the chamber became utterly silent, the Kyuubi's chakra disappearing. He looked over his shoulder, letting his hand drop. His eyes widened slightly when Naruto coughed harshly, scrambling away from the heated rock and then collapsing on the cool side opposite them. He was a moment from going to him, when he felt the Sannin's killing intent begin to leak out, the gold eyes sharp as the pale hand clenched the hilt of his sword. Their eyes met, and Sasuke activated his Sharingan, his gut twisting with disgust as Orochimaru's sick desire for his eyes became nearly palpable. He would deal with it though, if it meant keeping the Sannin away from Naruto when he was obviously weak.

Since he was turned away, he only noticed Orochimaru's eyes as they flicked behind him to the blond, the golden orbs widening in the most surprise Sasuke had ever seen on the snakes face. He heard words coming harshly from Naruto's mouth, and as he whipped around, his face mimicked the surprise of his temporary teacher.

_Naruto, what the __**fuck**__ are you thinking!_

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto couldn't think, he couldn't move. All he could do was _feel_ as the Kitsune ripped apart his mind and body, putting them back together the way he wanted it. Seals flashed through his mind in a kaleidoscope of twisting black lines and symbols, and he had the oddest mental image of each seal being a sort of book, flying to a huge bookcase, each neatly labeled according to what they did. It was painfully brief, but even through the pain, he understood that what he had seen was how his mind remembered things. A fresh burst of the Kyuubi's chakra burst though him, giving him a new definition of torture as his mind was wiped clean of everything but the pain.

After what seemed like forever, he could finally feel the stone under his hands and knees, nearly turned into lava from the heat of the Kitsune's chakra. Coughing, he scrambled away from the red, burning rock as fast as he could, his body simply moving of its own accord. He didn't stop until he was onto a cooler portion, finally falling in a boneless heap to the ground as his body shuddered with muscle spasms.

"**There is something you need to do quickly whelp,"**the Kitsune's voice growled through his mind, and he didn't miss the sense of urgency in the deep tones. Images flashed through his mind, and he replicated the hand seals, completely trusting the Kyuubi for once in his life. Croaking out words that he had never heard before, he finished the last seal, and everything in the room stilled with unnatural calm. He watched blurrily with morbid fascination as his blood rose from where it coated his body, even taking the small amount that was still sluggishly flowing from his nose and ears. Once it rose a few feet in the air above his body, it silently condensed into a perfect sphere. Then, everything went to hell with a shock wave of crimson chakra.

Agony ripped through him, centered on the seal on his stomach, and it caused him to flop onto his back and twitch about like a fish out of water, trying to scream but no sound would come out. He had no idea what he had just done, and he really didn't care. All he wanted was for the pain to stop!

Another of those silent pauses came along with the pain stopping, and he collapsed in relief, panting harshly. His eyes were screwed tightly shut as he concentrated on simply breathing and trying to get his body under control, and ignore the sickening pain in his head.

He finally opened his eyes slowly as a cool hand touched his forehead, a deep growl reverberating through the cavern. He vaguely heard two male voices speaking seriously as he forced his body into a sitting position, feeling tears gather in his eyes in protest of his body moving. The two voices he recognized as Orochimaru and Sasuke. The cool hand that was on his forehead moved to his shoulders, helping him stay upright. He blinked fuzzily around the room, trying to figure out who the hell was helping him, almost yelping with surprise when a white and red blur passed his vision. Breathing slowly, he forced his eyes to focus, and when it did, his jaw dropped.

Kneeling next to him was a slender, _naked_ man, his skin a pearly almond color, with a definite undertone of gold in it. His rusty red hair was long and straight, pooling on the ground around his body, with two, delicate fox ears twitching in agitation on the top of his head. The eyes were a bright crimson with slit pupils, and what really hammered it into Naruto's pain fogged brain that this was really the Kitsune, was the bushy, but elegant tail that weaved around behind him, the tip twitching like a cats when it was pissed. The thought made him laugh then groan in pain, which made both men stop speaking, their attention turning to him.

"Whelp," Kyuubi said quietly, and Naruto didn't miss the edge of concern in the deep, rumbly voice. "We need to get you to a bed." Naruto only nodded, not even caring that this was the _Kyuubi_ that he was putting his trust in, and blindly held out a hand, knowing that he wouldn't be able to make it on his own. He could have cared less who it was, as long as he got somewhere that he could lie down and pass out. The other hand grabbed his, and Naruto gratefully wrapped his burning one around the cool skin, using it as an anchor to shove the pain down and stagger to his feet.

It was only then that Naruto saw Sasuke standing between Orochimaru and them, obviously worried as he quickly scanned Naruto's body. Kabuto was a vague black and silver blur behind the snake, and Naruto dismissed him from his thoughts, looking back to Sasuke. He knew there wasn't anything physically wrong with him – at least he hoped there wasn't – but Sasuke's relieved look changed back to worry when he met his blue eyes. He didn't know what they looked like, or what his partner saw in them, and didn't want to know. All he did know was that his head was pounding so badly that he was nauseous, the world he was seeing bleeding and blending into one another. His entire being was throbbing, every single muscle in his body screaming and trembling in protest at being used. He didn't realize he had closed his eyes until he felt Sasuke next to him, a supporting hand on his lower back as he and the Kyuubi started steering him towards the door.

He also really, _really_ wanted to get somewhere safe, because at the moment, he couldn't sense shit. No chakra at all, and he could barely use his physical senses. He was seriously weak, and it frightened him. It frightened him _badly_.

"Where do you think you're taking him?"

The oily, slimy voice of Orochimaru worked through his ears, and he snarled in the general direction that it came from. He was startled into silence when a deeper, more sinister growl echoed his.

"It is no business of yours, Sannin," the Kyuubi snarled, cursing the blond for ever earning his respect. What he had just done to his Host had taken a lot of chakra, and he really didn't feel like having to fight Orochimaru if it came down to it. His snarl turned darker in annoyance as he easily lifted Naruto into his arms, resenting the feeling of concern as his head lolled backwards, his eyes utterly unfocused and weeping tears of pain he couldn't control. He also ignored the grateful look he received from the Uchiha. "Now, get out of my way."

Orochimaru shook his head, ideas and thoughts whirling through it as he faced down the Kyuubi in human form. "I do not think so, Kyuubi-sama." The title made the Kitsune narrow his eyes, his ears going flatter onto his head in annoyance, but he said nothing. "Why don't you leave that useless boy here, and come with me? I can help you finally be free from him." The man smiled, and even the Kyuubi had to repress a disgusted shiver at the sickly sweet gesture.

He thought about it, and gave it the serious thought that the offer deserved. However, as his conscious was trying to pull itself apart, his decision was made for him. Gentle fingers touched his cheek, and he glanced down in surprise, to see Naruto smiling at him. A gentle, beautiful, _trusting_ smile.

"I wouldn't blame you," Naruto whispered, and the Kitsune narrowed his crimson eyes, his sensuous mouth turning down in a thoughtful frown.

"You would die," he stated quietly, and Naruto nodded as though him dying was of no big concern. The Kyuubi cocked his head to the side, ears flicking as he studied the hazy blue trying to focus on him, not missing Sasuke's breath as it hitched in denial. "Even knowing that you would die, you still wouldn't blame me? You wouldn't be angry that you would leave Sasuke in exchange for my freedom?" Ah, the mention of the other boys name finally got a reaction; a darkening of his eyes with anger and frustration. The Kyuubi didn't understand why he was taunting his Host. He could simply accept the deal; he would be free, Naruto would be dead, and he could exact his revenge on Uchiha Madara. So why was he trying to convince Naruto to keep him?

Well, there was the whole concept of him dying along with Naruto, and since he had never been sealed before like the other Bijuu, he didn't want to take the chance that it could be true. With Orochimaru's skill, they likely could be separated, but Naruto would die in the process, and that was a fact. However…

His mind flashed back to things he had learned about Naruto in the past fourteen or so years. The determination of the blond, the aching need for someone to look at him without hate. The simple need to be seen simply as a child, since he hadn't known then that he was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki in his younger years. How the same blond didn't change the hate into despair and homicidal rage like Gaara, but rose above it instead. The Kitsune snorted, and glared sharply at Orochimaru when the man took a single step towards them. The snake-nin shrugged, smirking, and stepped back closer to the door.

The Kyuubi focused back on Naruto as he took a breath to say something, narrowing his eyes as the blond began to cough harshly, fresh blood beginning to flow. Frowning, his ears twitched as he listened to the boy's lungs, wanting to smack himself over his own head when he realized that he hadn't enlarged the boy's lungs to accommodate his new, larger body. The body he would have had if he had been getting the right nutrition. _Stupid fucking ramen_, the Kitsune thought darkly. _I will kill him myself if he ever touches that shit again!_

Scowling, he shifted Naruto until he was supporting him easily with one arm, the other clawed hand resting on the seal.

"What are you doing?"

The sharp, cold voice stopped him, and he looked at Sasuke. He judged his options for a moment, irritated at him for just being an Uchiha, but stopped himself. He too had memories of Sasuke through Naruto, and decided he would trust the boy.

"I'm need to heal him. Watch _that_." He hissed the last word, jerking his head at Orochimaru. The teen raised a single eyebrow, before silently turning his eyes to the other. Just like that, the dynamics of their weird, new team was set up. They both silently trusted each other after a split decision, and the Kitsune began channeling his healing chakra into the blond in his arms. It was then that he realized that he never, truly had any intention of taking Orochimaru up on his offer. Shoving the somewhat sad thought out of his mind, he concentrated on Naruto's lungs.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto hissed once and then fell silent. His eyes were tightly closed, and his body twitched beyond his control, but he made no sound except for his teeth grinding together. He was too busy forcing his mind to remain blank, wanting to reach out and snare that awesome, horrible power of the Kyuubi. When the Kyuubi healed him from the inside, it was _passive_ use of the Kitsune's chakra, but now that the Bijuu was in his own physical body, it seemed that the healing was _active_. He hadn't felt the active chakra of the Kitsune since his last battle with Sasuke, and he was viciously reminded why he hadn't called on it in the past year.

It was fucking _addicting_. He wanted to lose himself in the terror and darkness that was the Bijuu, because he knew, that in that rage filled void, he would be welcome. He would be embraced by it, and his mind would be lost to the selfish impulses that were the core of all the Bijuu.

It would embrace him with venomously sweet words, poisoning him into bliss. It was oh so dangerous, and oh so tempting. Naruto's eyes slowly opened against his will, as he felt his lungs literally enlarged within his chest, and the first thing he saw was the Kitsune's eyes. In that moment, he was lost.

He also finally understood what the Kyuubi had said earlier about the Bijuu beings creatures of death and destruction, and that they truly enjoyed carnage.

His back arched as the red seared directly into his brain, pain making him roughly scream, but only because he could go no higher. There was no room for thought, nothing but the pain, but then it channeled into something else. It fed the rage, pushing it into all new heights, making his heart pump rapidly in his chest. The scream turned into a snarl, and within an instant, he was _taking_ the Kyuubi's power, making the beast's eyes widen slightly.

Everything in the room seemed to freeze as the chakra exploded from them both, drowning the other three even as they erected barriers around them in an attempt to shield. Naruto only had eyes for the Kyuubi, who was looking down at him with respect, and what looked like annoyance. He barely heard the whispered words of the beast, forcing his ears to listen while his still blurry eyes concentrated on reading his lips.

"For you to have this much rage, it is truly a good thing that you are gone from Konoha. Not many Hosts are able to feel our true natures and retain their sanity."

"Who said I was sane?" he rasped, not knowing if his voice was rough from the screaming, or the violent emotions going through him. The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes, smirking a little.

"That is true. You would have to be a little insane to agree to become my student," he admitted, before the smirk fell into a frown. He tried taking his arm back, but Naruto's hand tightened around his wrist. He looked back up, not surprised to see that Naruto's eyes had the same slit pupils he did, or the fangs that graced the boy's mouth. He growled in annoyance, and viciously took back his chakra from the boy. As soon as he did, the vibrant blue eyes went fuzzy and rolled backwards. Naruto collapsed into a boneless heap in his arms, and the Kyuubi was treated to a rare bout of dizziness.

With a shaking hand, he reached up and lightly touched his own forehead, the dizziness leaving as soon as it was there. Putting it out of his mind for the time being, the Kyuubi sighed softly. He lifted his head, glaring straight at Orochimaru.

"If you kill him, you deal with me," he purred gently, and he knew that his crimson eyes were glazed, giving his features a look of lazy pleasure. Orochimaru was not stupid however, because even as he looked at the relaxed, sensuous features, his self-preservation instinct was screaming at him to run.

Orochimaru only nodded once, bowing gallantly to the fierce, sensual being that glided past him and out the door, Sasuke walking calmly beside him.

The Kyuubi waited until they were out of sensing distance and sagged against the wall, panting harshly. His entire body was shaking, and he could feel sweat beading on his forehead and upper lip. Movement caught his eye, and he nodded a silent thanks to Sasuke as he caught Naruto when the blond slipped from his grip. The Kyuubi didn't know what the hell was wrong with him, and now was not a good time to be feeling weak and sick. He assumed it was something like chakra exhaustion, but since he had never once felt it, he didn't want to label it as such and then find out that it was something else.

"Sasuke," he rumbled, making the Uchiha look at him with a raised brow, "how far is your room?"

"Not far," Sasuke returned softly. He cocked his head to the side, looking at the Kitsune searchingly. His eyes widened slightly as they took in the pale, perfect stomach, the black lines of the seal stark against his skin. It was the same seal that was on Naruto's abdomen. He also noticed that the spiral inside of it seemed to be slowly disappearing. Actually, it was almost completely gone. "Kyuubi…the seal on your stomach…"

The Kitsune frowned and looked down, the reason for his weakness hitting him like a flash when he saw the seal. "Fuck! Sasuke, we need to get to that room, and quickly. There are a few things I need to do before I return to Naruto."

Even with the questions burning in the black gaze, Sasuke only nodded and turned on his heel, the three of them entering their shared room in record time. Sasuke immediately put Naruto down on their bed, stripping off the bloodied clothes. It wasn't until Naruto was stripped to only his pants, the Kyuubi wandering around the room and muttering to himself, that Sasuke noticed the seal on the blonds' stomach. Just like the Kyuubi's the spiral was slowly disappearing, though Naruto still had a few inches of color left, while the Kyuubi barely had any.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as the Kitsune cursed and stumbled, bracing his long, lean body against the wooden door.

"Its…done…" the beast panted, locking eyes with Sasuke's. "I have protected this room, keyed to you and Naruto. No one else can enter, or leave." That was when Sasuke noticed the simple, yet powerful seals that were painted in blood on various surfaces of the room, and the already healed slashes on the Kyuubi's forearms. "I…I must return. If you want to know more, simply use the Sharingan to enter Naruto's mind." Before the Uchiha could protest, the Kyuubi shimmered, his edges turning indistinct before he disappeared.

Growling softly in annoyance, Sasuke moved the chair from their desk next to the bed, sitting down so he could watch his partner. Frowning, Naruto shifted, making a soft pained noise, and Sasuke watched in amazement as the spiral branded itself back into his skin, the smell of burned meat filling the room. Wrinkling his nose, he activated his Sharingan, watching as a gentle stream of red chakra entered Naruto's pathways, filling them back up even as the spiral completed. Seeing that, he looked a little deeper, able to sense, if not see, the Kyuubi's chakra inside Naruto. It took him a moment to understand that he was feeling the Kitsune's chakra getting stronger along with Naruto's, and the reason for the beast's weakness hit him.

He smirked slightly, letting the Sharingan deactivate. "So. Whatever he did…they are like batteries for one another. Hm." He tilted his head back, propping his sandal clad feet up on the edge of the bed, and closed his eyes. He would have to wait awhile longer to talk to the Kyuubi, because he wouldn't enter Naruto's mind without his permission.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Orochimaru waited until he could no longer hear the footsteps, and sagged against the wall, raising a shaking hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. While he was scared of the Kyuubi, it cemented what he wanted even more in his mind. He _had_ to find a way to get Naruto to leave Sasuke, or find a way to kill him and his protective beast. As long as Naruto and the Kyuubi were around, he would never have a chance at Sasuke's body, and that was inexcusable.

"Are you alright, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked, and Orochimaru snapped his head around, glaring at his associate.

"I am perfectly fine, Kabuto," he said scathingly, walking out of the room, and looking down the corridor where the three of them had just left. "We need to find a way to get rid of that blond brat and his overprotective beast. As long as they are here, I will never have a chance at Sasuke's body."

"Do you think you can get rid of them?" Kabuto asked dryly, freezing when a snake wrapped around his body, mouth open with the venomous fangs only inches from his face. Past that of the snake, he saw Orochimaru snarling at him.

"No, I cannot get rid of them. Not when that beast has its own body. I am not stupid, Kabuto. I know I am no match for the Kyuubi no Kitsune when he is at full power. I will have to wait until he is back within Naruto's body, and then strike. However," he hissed, the snarl turning into one of perverse pleasure. Kabuto shivered, never taking his eyes off the reptile that seemed to be laughing at him. "You do not question me, Kabuto. Never question me."

Kabuto swallowed hard. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: Gaara couldn't wait to meet up with Naruto, and see which of them had become better.**

**Theme: Beautiful Lie - 30 Seconds To Mars**

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******Eastern coast of Konoha, north of Water, the following night.**

Gaara stopped suddenly, his teal eyes narrowed as he lifted his face to the wind, inhaling slowly through his nose.

"**They are close…"** Shukaku whispered eagerly in his mind, causing Gaara to smirk slightly. Shaking himself, he straightened his shoulders, looking around at the darkening landscape. Naruto wasn't that far from where he and Shukaku had been training, his chakra signature somewhere in the Land of Water, to the south. Rolling his shoulders, he wandered for a few more minutes sniffing the breeze, before coming upon a small fresh water lake. Looking across its still depths, he watched as the lake narrowed at the far, far end. It turned into a river that in turn became a waterfall farther down, emptying into the ocean surrounding the islands of Water.

However, here it was still, and peaceful.

He hadn't had a swim in this clear of water in a long time. Also, he didn't sense anyone within a mile of him, which was the important thing. He didn't particularly want to be sighted by Kiri-nin.

Making a decision, he slung the gourd from his shoulders, absently looking at the cork to make sure it was sealed tightly. Propping it up against a nearby tree, he closed his eyes and stretched his arms above his head, rising onto his tiptoes. Letting his arms drop, he shook his entire body, releasing the Sand Armor at the same time. The cork popped out of the gourd as the sand trickled into it, and once it was completely in, he slid the cork back into its place. He took it and solidified the sand, turning it into a rock that weighed several hundred pounds.

In a few minutes he was done, and with a final, satisfying crack of his neck, he started taking off what remained of his tattered clothing. He carefully tucked them a little farther back under a bush, and turned slowly, making his way towards the lakes edge.

Most of the fresh water rivers back in the jungle were infested with rather large snakes, man eating fish, and several large predators. Usually he bathed, drank, and cooked with the water he got from the rains. With his weight and agility, he was usually able to stay near the tops of the dense trees. However, when the rain got particularly bad, he was forced to go to the ground, hopefully only the lower branches.

There were several shelters he and others had built into trees, and within root systems. He would always remember one moment when he had snuck into one of those shelters, only to encounter a pair of kohl ringed black eyes.

The man was just as wary of him as he was of the man. It had been rather amusing, actually. Gaara wouldn't have touched his fellow lone spirit unless attacked, but he supposed a 14 year old teenager with a huge gourd on his back, and an aura of tightly leashed rage was something to be wary about. They had sat there until the rain tapered off, and the man had been out the door. What he would always remember though, was the slight nod that he received before he was out the door, those black eyes accepting of him as a warrior, and a human.

He looked at his reflection in the water, examining it for a moment as he ran his hands through his shoulder length hair. He had been meaning to cut that, but never got around to it. Somehow he had also managed to keep his pale skin even through the last year of training in the jungle, but he hadn't escaped completely unscathed. Instead of the sickly pale skin he once had, it was a golden ivory color, giving him a much healthier look. He stepped into the cool lake, shivering and enjoying it after the lukewarm rainwater he was accustomed to bathing in.

Wading through the reeds that lined the lakes edge, he finally made it out into the clear water, and taking a deep breath, he dived underneath. He wasn't even nervous about being without his sand, or armor. The first techniques that Shukaku had shown him were to combat the inherent weakness of sand, so he was no longer defenseless in the water, nor did he absolutely need the protection of the sand.

Keeping his eyes open, he looked around, realizing with surprise that he could see almost all the way to the bottom. Kicking his legs, he propelled himself through the water, keeping to the far end so he didn't have to worry about the current. He rose and easily broke the surface, beginning to swim with measured strokes for the remaining hundred feet or so. He stopped roughly in the middle, and looked down the winding river to the faint hint of white above the waterfall.

He let himself float on his back as the stars came out above him, the bright colors of sunset having faded into the horizon. He smirked slightly as he closed his eyes in relaxation, remembering the first time Shukaku had forced something like this on him.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"_**No, I am not going to teach you another damn thing until you sit your ass on that beach for longer than 10 minutes!"**__ Shukaku roared in his mind, and Gaara scowled at the perfectly innocent white sand beach stretched out in front of him. He hated sitting around and doing nothing. In Suna, he would have trained, or read, or hell, even gone and done patrols around the city. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, there was nothing for him to do besides hunt and train. He had enough food so he didn't need to hunt, and now Shukaku was refusing to train him. _

_Getting an idea in his head, he walked slowly down to the beach, his bare feet silent on the debris littered ground, since he had long lost his sandals. Once on the hot sand, he stared at the horizon for a long moment, before falling into a familiar defensive stance. If Shukaku wouldn't train him, then he would train himself. _

_He hadn't even moved to the second position before the sand of the beach rose up and trapped him, slamming him to the earth and forcing him to lie flat on his back. _

"_**Shukaku…"**__ he growled softly at the demon, struggling against the hot sand._

"_**Gaara…"**__ Shukaku growled mockingly back. Snarling, Gaara doubled his efforts to get free, fighting against the sand for a few minutes before realizing it would be impossible to break free. Forcing his body to relax, Shukaku released the sand, though Gaara could feel the demon's readiness to snap it back around his body. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and started going through mental exercises to relax each muscle of his body individually. Shukaku faded in his mind with a pleased humph, leaving him alone with his thoughts. _

_Strangely, after almost an hour, he found that he hadn't been thinking. In fact, he had fallen into a light meditative state - almost a doze - as his mind wandered. Upon reaching that realization, he lay there for almost three more hours, listening to the sounds of the jungle behind him, the ocean in front, and the quiet thump of his own heart. He could feel the difference on his skin as afternoon faded to twilight, the sounds around him beginning to change as creatures went to bed, and awoke._

"_**You're going to burn kid."**_

_Shukaku's amused voice startled him out of his state, enough that he was on his feet, a kunai in his hand as he looked around for danger. He relaxed slightly when Shukaku laughed, an annoyed frown on his face as he put his weapon back._

"_**It's not so bad, is it? Being lazy,"**__ Shukaku rumbled, and as much as he hated to agree with his demon, he reluctantly nodded. It had actually been…quite pleasant. __**"Alright, funs over. Let's get back to work."**_

_Gaara nodded solemnly, already looking forward to the ending of the new lesson, so he could go back to his newfound pastime: laziness._

**-x-x-x-x-**

"**Kid, we got company," **Shukaku whispered in his mind, and Gaara smirked slightly. Despite having his eyes closed and reminiscing, he had already sensed the three people in the trees to the south. He didn't know what had attracted them, but nevertheless, they were there.

"**I don't plan on doing anything to them yet. They haven't attacked me, or tried taking my belongings," **he replied, making his demon growl softly at him.

"**I could force you to kill them,"** Shukaku purred evilly, and Gaara shivered slightly against his will. The demons true nature licked at his sanity as Shukaku pressed his chakra against the seal on his lower back, but Gaara shut it down with a deft, mental twist. Shukaku started in surprise, and then roared in frustration. Gaara simply ignored the enraged demon; something he had gotten quite good at in the past year. Who ever knew that Bijuu could be so damn talkative?

It was a few minutes before the demon calmed down, as Gaara kept track of those in the trees, becoming slightly concerned when their chakra signatures didn't budge. After a few mumbled curse words, Shukaku completely relaxed, grumbling as he tried to get a feel for the three people. Gaara started paddling idly towards his things, tightening down his chakra even more.

"**I don't feel any killing intent,"** the demon rumbled, and Gaara made a small noise of affirmation. **"They do not taste of desert air, which rules out most of the shinobi from Suna."** Gaara's eyes opened slightly at the admission, and he listened with interest as Shukaku continued, the demons voice contemplative, neither of them taking their attention off the faint chakra signatures. He hadn't known this was how Shukaku "saw" chakra.

"**It is not Konoha, or that lightning place." **

Shukaku never took the time to learn the names of the Villages either, it seemed.

"**Kid, they taste like blood and fog. Those are Kiri-nin."**

That caught Gaara's attention. He continued to move slowly in the water as he thought, since they hadn't tried attacking him yet. Casually, he started to lazily swim his way through the water, going towards where he had left his gourd. He could feel the chakra infused sand still where he left it, and that meant all his weapons and clothing too.

Getting to the edge of the lake calmly was harder then he thought it would be, with the demon inside humming with battle adrenaline. It was all he could do to walk like he didn't have a care in the world to where his pants were hidden, sliding them on with practiced ease. They were the only article of clothing he owned any more, besides his various pouches.

It wasn't more than a heartbeat after he slung the gourd over his back, when the chakra signatures vanished, only to appear in front of him. He watched the three Kiri-nin coldly, eyes narrowed as subtle killer intent began to pulse from them. Now that they were up close, he could read them better, and it seemed it was a Jounin and his team of two Chunin. Said Jounin took a step closer to him, eyes narrowed and cold.

"Who are you, and why are you here?"

Gaara cocked his head to the side slightly, examining the man and the other two. He would very much enjoy killing them right now, but he didn't want to announce his presence just yet. Not when he was this close to his brothers, and especially Orochimaru. However…there was one technique that he was curious to try. Shukaku had given him the key to it only a few days ago.

He shouldn't have been surprised he could control gemstones, and with his sand, it was easy enough to sharpen the ten large rubies he had found into deadly weapons. When combined with the chakra string technique he had learned from Kankuro…

The memory flashed through his mind with a blink of his eyes, and he made his decision. It didn't take much chakra to use the strings and stones, and for now it would have to be for personal kills. A smirk of sadistic anticipation suddenly lit his face, making the three men narrow their eyes and shift their stances. Personal kills like these three.

In a blur of movement, his left hand shot downwards. The rubies were in a special holster around each upper thigh, five in each set. He only needed three, and grabbing them between his fingers and flicking his hand up and out in the same rapid fire, fluid movement, he attached the strings. The three shinobi didn't even have time to react as the shards were buried between their eyes with a little pulse of his chakra down the string.

Three pairs of eyes crossed as Gaara twitched his fingers, snapping the shards back to him and catching them between his fingers. The bodies slumped to the ground, and he looked at the gemstones with a frown. If he hadn't pulsed that chakra into them, they would have either flown right past their heads, or lodged in their shoulders. Sighing in annoyance at himself, he absently cleaned them on his pants and turned away, watching the rise of the moon in the east. He completely ignored Shukaku's growl of pleasure as the Bijuu manipulated the sand in the gourd, making it reach out and grab the three bodies, crushing them in one giant fist.

Gaara continued to ignore the sounds of the sand grinding the bones and flesh into paste, but he couldn't quite ignore the sounds Shukaku was making deep in his mind. It made him want to turn around and watch, but he forced his body to stay still. He wanted to bask in the blood, and with the nearly full moon rising, it was distinctly difficult to push away those urges. The thrill of the kill sang in his body, making goose bumps rise on his skin as his hands clenched around his upper arms.

He forced himself to stand completely still, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Shukaku to finish. He closed his eyes after a moment, but they snapped open when he realized he could hear the obscene noises the demon was making better with them closed.

After a long moment, Shukaku made a small noise of contentment, and Gaara risked a look over his shoulder. The three bodies were long gone, the only evidence that they were there at all were small stains of blood, and their hitai-ite. The sand slithered back into the gourd, and he absently bent down to pick up the cork, putting it back in place without looking.

"Are we ready?" he murmured out loud, his eyes already drifting to the direction that he had to take.

"**Yea, we can go now,"** Shukaku muttered back, and Gaara got the sudden, disturbing mental image of Shukaku in his demon form, sprawled out on his back in the desert of his mind, belly bulging. Mentally he shivered, his eyes narrowing his only outward reaction. Nodding his head, he leapt into the trees, heading east and towards the ocean. Most of this part of their trip would be walking across the water, but as long as they did it at night, that shouldn't be a problem.

With Shukaku deeply asleep in his mind, Gaara smirked. He knew Shukaku had to be the laziest Bijuu out there, but he had learned quite a bit. The smirk slowly curled into an evil, anticipatory grin. He couldn't wait to meet up with Naruto, and see which of them had become better.

**-x-x-x-x-**

**Next night, in Konoha…**

Tsunade cursed viciously as she healed Iruka, snarling at Sakura when the girl's concentration wavered for a moment.

"Keep your attention on him girl!" she snapped, and Sakura gulped, nodding. Tsunade snorted in approval when her control firmed. Iruka stirred, and turned to her with pain glazed eyes, frowning.

"Where's…" he wheezed, before beginning to cough harshly. Tsunade growled and cursed herself for ever telling Kakashi to turn Iruka into a Jounin. The man she was working on was even _more_ reckless then the Copy-Nin, which was a feat.

"Stop talking Iruka. If you want to know about Kakashi, he's already healed and resting in the room next to yours," she muttered, letting Sakura take over the bulk of the healing, while she sent her chakra gently through the rest of his body. His eyes turned grateful, and knowing that was what he needed to hear, she easily sent him into a deep sleep with a touch of chakra. His eyes closed, and she returned her attention to his wounds.

Superficial cuts on his ribs, thighs, stomach, and arms: being healed. Stab wounds in his arms, shoulders and back: healed. Broken ribs and right wrist: also healed. Punctured lung, ruptured stomach and liver, and perforated intestine: completely healed.

She sighed deeply in relief, rubbing her forehead with a bloody hand and not caring that the red liquid smeared across her skin. Kakashi was already fully healed, and Iruka was no longer in critical condition. She had a meeting with the Kazekage of Suna in an hour, and she still had to talk to Jiraiya, who had been the one to bring her two Jounin to the hospital.

"Sakura, finish with Iruka and make sure he has what he needs until he wakes up."

The teen nodded, her eyes bright with concentration. Cracking her neck, Tsunade washed her hands absently. Afterwards, she walked out of the operating room, waving away people who tried to talk to her as she exited the building, telling them to talk to Sakura. Taking a deep breath of the moist darkness outside, the Hokage vanished and appeared several rooftops away, leaping from building to building silently. She took in the relaxed atmosphere of her Village in the deep night, knowing that she was going to need it.

Landing lightly on the ledge of her office window, she stepped gently down, and then collapsed into her chair. No sooner had she taken her saké and cup out, then a bushy head of white hair came in through the window, landing to her right. He turned with a grim face, and silently she reached back into her desk, grabbing another cup.

Setting them both down, she poured as Jiraiya walked over, propping himself on the edge of her desk. He nodded and took the drink when offered, downing it at the same time she did hers. Holding his glass out for a refill, he smirked.

"They saw Gaara, and he was making his way south, towards the islands."

Tsunade nodded absently, turning to look out the windows so she could watch the soft, predawn light give way to the array of colors that was sunrise. After the first message from Naruto telling them that Gaara wasn't with them, they figured it would be about a year before he went searching for the other two. It seemed that their calculations were correct.

"Have you heard from Naruto lately?" she asked quietly, taking a long drink.

"The last message I got from him was over a month ago, and everything seemed to be fine."

Tsunade nodded again, relaxing deeper into her chair. She knew that if anything was wrong, her fellow teammate would have told her immediately. Iruka and Kakashi hadn't been able to get anything from any Oto-nin's, even after torturing them, so they were left to rely on the sporadic messages they got from Naruto about the movements of Orochimaru.

She shuddered slightly, thinking about the blubbering heap one Oto-nin had been in after having been left alone with Iruka for only an hour. She never thought that the mild mannered school teacher could be such a terror once he was a properly trained Jounin. Then again, the only time she had ever seen Iruka get so riled up, was over either Naruto, or Kakashi. Such an odd team, and yet they worked so well together.

Taking a silent, deep breath, she finally turned towards Jiraiya. "What happened to Iruka and Kakashi's mission?"

The Toad Sennin shrugged, swirling his saké around in his cup, and apprehension tightened her gut at his tired, dark eyes. "I had heard that there were missing-nin living in the jungles to the east, and I wanted to check it out. I didn't even know that those two had left the Village when I came upon the camp, and found that they were badly outnumbered. Kakashi was already nearly dead from chakra exhaustion."

The man sighed and finished the last of his drink, Tsunade refilling it silently when he held it out. "I never want to see Iruka like that again, or get on that mans bad side. Ever."

Tsunade smiled slightly, even a little proudly, because Iruka was a perfect example of the strength of Konoha. He would be ready to take his own Genin team when this next round graduated, though she didn't want to break up Kakashi and him. She snorted, earning her a curious look from her companion. She shook her head. "I was just thinking about giving Iruka a Genin team, but I don't know if him and Kakashi should be broken up. They easily have the best partnership out of everyone, and I don't want to mess that up."

Jiraiya smirked a little, before he blinked, eyes widening as he obviously remembered something. Reaching into a pouch on his right hip, he pulled out a scroll, and handed it to Tsunade.

"This has all the heads of the missing-nin that were there," he said blandly, and she took it with a mental shudder at the coldness in his black eyes. She knew better than anyone just how ruthless Jiraiya could be, especially when protecting someone or something he considered his. Kakashi and Iruka were Konoha-nin, which made them his. She was about to open her mouth to ask him about any news on Akatsuki, when a small puff of smoke announced the arrival of a summon.

Out of the smoke, appeared a young, orange toad, a scroll tied to its back.

"Gamakichi!"

The small toad waved at Jiraiya as he yelled, smirking. "Yo."

"Why are you here?" Jiraiya asked, and Gamakichi grabbed the small scroll off his back, flicking it to the man.

"Read it quick," he said as Jiraiya opened it, his eyes flicking along the symbols. Tsunade felt a flutter of fear in her stomach as Jiraiya paled, looking at the toad with a stern eye.

"Are you sure this is accurate?" he barked, and Gamakichi nodded solemnly.

"I saw it with my own eyes."

Jiraiya was gone before the Hokage could even get a word out in protest, and when she glanced to where the orange toad was, he was also gone. Scowling, she sat back and rubbed her temples, saké forgotten. It had to be something with Naruto, but now she had no way of getting in contact with either of them. Before she could work through the fear that something happened to Naruto, to anger at her teammate for deserting her without so much as a word, a light knock sounded on the door.

"What?" she called sharply, not caring that she sounded rude, and the door opened enough to allow Shizune's head to peer in.

"The Kazekage is here to see you, Hokage," she announced, and opened the door wider when Tsunade nodded her head. Shizune escorted the three people into her office, and she valiantly resisted the scowl when she saw the old man that had become Kazekage. He was a spineless freak, sabotaged Temari's efforts to be the next leader in every way, and had gotten the seat through utterly underhanded ways. She didn't even bother with a false smile, motioning him to take the seat across from her. He started to speak without hesitation.

"Hokage, as agreed I am here to discuss the trading rights…"

His voice droned on, and Tsunade didn't even bother listening intently, only nodding her head and making the right comments when needed. _Pompous old windbag,_ she thought to herself, her thoughts once again returning to her wayward shinobi.

_Damnit Naruto, Sasuke…you better not be fucking dead!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: "Ero-Sennin!" he called happily, and winced as his own voice bounced on the cavern walls.**

**Theme: Definition of Destiny – Billy Talent**

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**Three days after the Kyuubi manifestation**

Naruto leaned against the wall of the shower, slowly and steadily breathing in the warm air. His head still throbbed, as did every joint in his body, but he was able to push through it. _Besides,_ he thought with a deep sigh, thrusting his head under water, _this shower feels sooooo good._

The soothing heat was doing its job and helping the Kyuubi, who was also awake, but utterly concentrated on healing his body. From the few, snarled words he had gotten, it had put more strain on his body then the Kyuubi had thought it would. He would be weak for awhile, and that thought made him growl darkly.

He hated being weak, especially while he was in enemy territory. That was why he had sent the urgent message to Jiraiya, hoping that the Sannin would know something to do that would get him back on his feet. He may be a damn Host, but the guy trying to kill him was a fucking Sannin!

A sharp pain in his right hand alerted him to his nails piercing his palm, and he sighed wearily as he relaxed it. He watched silently as they scabbed, then peeled off to reveal perfect white scars. Sighing again, he closed his eyes, and painfully reached for the shampoo, clearing his mind of everything except the need to be clean.

He had to go slowly, because any fast movement made him gasp, eyes squeezing tight in pain. Though by the time he stepped out and turned off the water, he was more awake, and the fine shaking in his body had stopped. Drying off, he tried toweling his hair, but gave up on that quickly. Instead, he draped the towel over his head, and leaned against the wall to slide on a pair of baggy blue sweatpants. He stayed there for a moment, breathing slowly. Carefully he pushed himself off the wall and walked to the door, opening it and staggering slightly back into their bedroom.

Even as he started to fall forward, there was a blur and then strong hands were on his shoulders. Closing his eyes, he leaned into the cooler frame of Sasuke, smiling slightly when he felt arms wrap around him. He simply breathed as his body throbbed and ached, letting the stoic Uchiha calm wash over him.

"Are you feeling better?"

Naruto opened his eyes at the words, and pulled back enough to look…wait… What the hell? He wasn't taller than Sasuke! Though apparently he was now, because his eyes were level with Sasuke's hairline. Suddenly, feelings of trepidation and wariness filled him.

"Sasuke…what the hell happened?" he asked quietly, clenching his hands into fists when he felt them start to shake again.

Sasuke stared at him, since he was about to ask the same question. His onyx eyes narrowed as Naruto's began to fill with something like panic, and he hastened to calm down his partner.

"Shhhh Naruto…I don't know for sure what happened, but…"

He bit his lip as he trailed off, feeling slightly uneasy when Naruto looked at him with desperate hope in his sapphire eyes. "This is purely speculation Naruto, but when the Kyuubi was _forced_ to return to you, before he did, he looked like he was suffering chakra exhaustion."

Naruto blinked at that, taking it in slowly as he frowned. His head hurt so he didn't want to think about it, but if what the Kyuubi did to him caused chakra exhaustion in the damn _Kyuubi_, then that was something serious. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and leaned fully into Sasuke, wrapping his mind around this new dilemma.

"Fuck…the Kyuubi won't talk to me right now either. Stupid damn fox says that he's busy still healing me," he grumbled, his lips twitching at the soft rumble in Sasuke's chest.

"I know that he made you bigger, but that's the only thing I know," Sasuke quietly said, and grinned a little when Naruto snorted.

"He gave me all his knowledge on sealing, but I can't do shit with it. To me they just look like a bunch of pretty pictures."

A true smile blossomed on Sasuke's face as he slowly started running his slender fingers through Naruto's hair. The blond started purring softly, relaxing even more into his embrace.

"Well, the Kyuubi can't make it too easy for you," he murmured softly, and Naruto made a soft noise of agreement.

"Wouldn' wan'im to anyway," he slurred quietly, his mind already slipping into sleep.

Sasuke sighed quietly and steered Naruto back over to the bed, now with clean sheets. His partner climbed in without complaint, yawning hugely as he snuggled down into the soft pillows. He was about to settle down into the chair next to the bed, when a strong grip captured his wrist. He glanced over, and was caught by pleading blue eyes.

"Come to bed with me Sasuke," he whispered. "I know you didn't sleep last night…"

"Last night?" Sasuke asked with surprise, and sat on the edge of the bed, giving Naruto a concerned look. "Dobe, how long do you think you've been out?"

"Uh, a day?"

Sasuke blanched at Naruto's obviously confused answer. "'Baka…you've been asleep for three days."

Now it was Naruto's turn to pale. "Fuck…three days?" He started to scramble out of bed, or tried to, except for the steely hand that was on his chest, keeping him there.

"Naruto, there's nothing you can do about it now, except rest and heal," Sasuke muttered, thinking that Naruto would always be a rash, impulsive idiot. They had been together long enough now though, that Naruto took a deep breath and nodded, trusting his word, and relaxing back onto the bed.

"Fine fine, but I still want you to come to bed with me," Naruto stubbornly whispered, and Sasuke sighed. He knew better then to argue with his partner when he was like this. Standing, he slipped off all of his clothing except his pants, and slid into bed, facing Naruto. The blond put his arm around him with a happy murmur, and Sasuke was amused to see him fall asleep almost immediately. As he carefully stroked the soft length of blond hair, he frowned.

He should have told Naruto what he thought was going on, but he had a feeling that Naruto would take it better coming from the source itself. As his eyes closed, his thoughts becoming warm and fuzzy with sleep, he had an odd thought. They needed to find a different name to call the Kyuubi. They couldn't go around calling him _The_ Kitsune, or _The_ Kyuubi all the time. The fox needed a name, not a title. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep, a highly amusing thought going through his head.

_Should just call him Fluffy or Fuzzy…something like that…_

**-x-x-x-x-**

Orochimaru glared at the door that led to Naruto and Sasuke's room, trying one more time to get through. Scowling, he pulled his arm back, not able to get even his fingertips through whatever was sealing the room. Turning on his heel, he walked back down the hallway, frowning deeply in thought as his feet absently took him to his personal lab.

He had been trying for the past few days to get to Naruto so he could kill him, but every time the damn seals in the room kept him from getting in. He knew it had to be the Kyuubi's doing, because neither of the boys knew enough about the sealing arts to make a barrier that powerful.

He frowned harder, wondering if Naruto did indeed have the knowledge to place those seals, even though the boy had been unconscious the last time he saw him. Naruto had been a student of Jiraiya after all.

Arriving at the door to his lab, he unlocked it and only opened it when hurried footsteps reached his ears. He turned to his right, anger rising in him, but it dissipated as Kabuto rounded the curve of the hallway, outwardly calm, but Orochimaru could see the tightly leashed panic.

"Orochimaru-sama, I just learned that Jiraiya and Gaara are both on their way here. They are only a day away from our position."

He didn't even have to think. "Destroy all evidence that we were here, and take what notes you need to continue the experiments. This hideout will have to be abandoned."

As Kabuto nodded and ran off, he walked into his personal lab, and took out the three storage scrolls that he always carried with him. He packed a few key items, and set fire to the room as he walked out, closing the door. It wouldn't spread, but that didn't matter. He could destroy one of the men coming towards them, but not both, and he knew that neither Naruto or Sasuke would stand idle while he killed either Jiraiya or Gaara.

He didn't even bother telling the two boys that were currently sleeping. He was pissed at himself, because he had forgotten until now that Naruto had signed the toad contract, just like Jiraiya. As he raced through the hallways to his personal bedroom, he snarled silently. He was supposed to be a Sannin, and yet he had forgotten something as simple as that.

And it was causing him to lose his chance at getting Sasuke for his next body. However, he still had two years to figure something out, and he would.

He walked into his room, and began sealing the majority of his belongings into another scroll, his mind racing through the various hideouts that he and Kabuto could go to. Finally, as Kabuto came into his room, laden with supplies and scrolls, he made his decision. They would go north, to the one place that no one knew about, except them.

"What…about Sasuke?" Kabuto panted, and Orochimaru frowned.

"My plans will have to be put on hold for the moment. There will be a time that Sasuke will be without his beast, and we will take him then."

Kabuto only nodded as Orochimaru made a few quick hand seals and grabbed Kabuto's shoulder. They both sank into the ground, and disappeared.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto was awake and sitting up, his ears straining before he even knew what had awoken him. Blinking the fuzziness away from his eyes, he snapped awake when he heard it again, and then frowned. It sounded like his name…

"NARUTO!"

He yelped and jumped out of the bed at the familiar, angry roar. He noticed the blood seal on the back of the door absently as he ripped it open, trying to search out with his chakra where the amplified voice had come from. As soon as he tried, he gasped in pain and fell onto his knees in the hallway, one hand on the wall and the other clenching his head.

"**Stupid meatbag! Don't use your chakra for at least another hour. I almost had it completely healed and then you had to do that!"** The Kyuubi faded away, still muttering.

Ah hell. Well, he was going to take the advice. That had felt like hot glass sliding through his body and head.

"Fuck," he whispered hoarsely. His body didn't hurt as much now after getting real sleep and not unconsciousness, but everything still ached. Breathing past the pain, he forced himself to his feet and looked up, only to see a pale Jiraiya standing there, staring at him. Regardless of the pain, he found himself smiling stupidly, relief rushing through him.

"Ero-Sennin!" he called happily, and winced as his own voice bounced on the cavern walls. Jiraiya seemed to shake himself free of whatever daze he was in and was at his side instantly, lifting him up. He squirmed in the tight grip, scowling up at his mentor.

"Put me down damnit!" he snarled, but Jiraiya didn't listen. Instead, he walked into their room, where Sasuke was just waking up, and dumped him back onto the bed next to his partner. Naruto swallowed the hot retort that bubbled up, at seeing the deadly seriousness in the dark eyes.

"Tell me everything, Naruto. And don't leave anything out."

Naruto swallowed hard, and shared an apprehensive glance with Sasuke, before turning back.

"The Kyuubi imprinted all his knowledge of seals onto my brain, and apparently he also gave me the body that…I…"

He trailed off as his eyes went hazy, but before either male could say anything, his eyes turned red, sharpening back onto Jiraiya. The scars on his cheeks widened as his fingernails turned black and into claws, a smirk appearing.

"Don't worry about the meat bag," Naruto said, his voice deeper and raspier then previous. Sasuke recognized it as the Kyuubi's, and apparently Jiraiya did too, because Sasuke could see him readying himself for anything the demon would do. "He agreed to this, and I am not going to attack either you or Sasuke. I gave him my word that I would help him protect those that are precious to him. Ask your questions, Sannin. I will tell you what I can."

"You gave Naruto your knowledge of seals," he began, and the Kyuubi nodded in agreement. "Can he use the seals then?"

"No, he cannot. I gave him my knowledge yes, but he doesn't yet know the mechanics behind the sealing art. He has the knowledge, but not the training to use said knowledge."

"Makes sense," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "Alright, next question. What else did you do to him?"

The Kyuubi smirked evilly, a decidedly odd look on Naruto's usually open, smiling face. "I gave him the body he would have had, if he had been receiving the right nutrition. Also, I agreed to train him, and the Uchiha brat."

Sasuke bristled at that, but calmed under the sharp look from Jiraiya. The Sannin looked back to his apprentice, and sighed.

"The scroll also said that you can have your own body now Kyuubi." The boy nodded once again, an amused, patronizing look in the crimson eyes. Jiraiya ignored it, though mentally he scowled. He hated being looked down on, but if any creature could, it was the one looking out of his students eyes.

"The seal the Yondaime created makes that impossible."

The Kyuubi scoffed, crossing his arms over his slender chest. "Nothing is impossible when it comes to the sealing arts, Jiraiya. You of all people should know this. The original seal is still there, but there are some slight modifications to it. This is my first time being sealed inside a human, and I resented it greatly. For a long time, I tried to figure out a way to break the seal and escape, but I could not do it from inside Naruto's body. I still cannot break it, because at the present time, our chakra is to closely intertwined, and if one of us were to die, the other would as well, unless I was taken out by an external force. I understand that the Akatsuki have been sealing the Bijuu, correct?"

Jiraiya blinked at the sudden change in topic, and nodded as he processed the words. "Yes, the Akatsuki have already sealed five of the Bijuu."

The Kyuubi had a decidedly sad look on his face as he sighed. "So that is where they went to." Before Jiraiya could ask what he meant, the Kyuubi shook himself, his face taking on a stony cast. "Before you even ask, yes, I can speak to my siblings. I can only get a sense of their emotions the farther away they are, but words are possible as they get closer. I have been wondering where those presences have gone for the past few months, but I had heard nothing of Akatsuki from anyone, even Orochimaru."

"Where _is_ Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked quietly, finally realizing that with Jiraiya here, the other Sannin should have been attacking, or something. Jiraiya shook his head, eyes narrowed in thought.

"I didn't see him or Kabuto when I got here. I think they left."

Sasuke's eyes widened slowly, and Jiraiya braced himself when the onyx depths filled with resentment. He held his tongue as the Uchiha turned to the Kyuubi, a scowl on his young features.

"You drove off the only man that could teach me what I needed to know!" he snarled harshly, but the Kyuubi looked at him calmly, crimson eyes flaring with anger.

"What would you have me do, Uchiha?" the Kyuubi said softly. "If I hadn't done what I did, Naruto would have fallen to the snake, and your body would have been taken. Regardless of what you both believe, neither of you are strong enough to take on a Sannin with the hopes of winning." The Kyuubi snarled when Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, the Bijuu's killing intent effectively making him close his mouth.

"Do not argue with me boy! Even with the Sharingan, you would have been chewed up and spit out by Orochimaru!" The Kyuubi leaned forward until he was inches from Sasuke's face, but the teen refused to back down, his jaw set stubbornly. "Think of it this way, Uchiha. I did what I did to protect Naruto, and you. Are you really so hell bent on revenge that you would be willing to throw away Naruto's life?"

"Of course not!" was the immediate, furious reply. Sasuke looked away from the knowing, intent stare of the Kyuubi, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Are you sure?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped back at the drawled, sarcastic words, his hands clenching into fists. How dare this beast try to say that his revenge on Itachi was more important than Naruto!

"Yes, I am sure," he hissed, refusing to look away as the Kyuubi seemed to search for something in his eyes.

It was the truth. He would never put Naruto's life before his revenge. Naruto had broken the cold shell that was around his heart, and gave him the love that he craved without asking for anything in return. He would kill Itachi eventually, he had promised himself that, but if it came down to a decision between killing Itachi or protecting Naruto, Naruto would win every time.

His cold glare lessened as the revelation hit him, and he smirked as the Kyuubi quirked an eyebrow in question, obviously noticing his change. "I will kill Itachi at some point in my life. That is something I have sworn to do for myself and my Clan, but Naruto will always come before that."

New respect blossomed in both Jiraiya and the Kyuubi, as they watched Sasuke. The teen had reached some sort of epiphany in the short minute he had been thinking, and it showed. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and the guarded look in his eyes lessened minutely. His onyx eyes were steady as they looked back and forth between the two, the smirk widening.

"Alright brat, I take it back," the Kyuubi said dryly, cocking his head to the side as though he was listening to something neither of them could hear. He smirked, and the crimson eyes looked back at Sasuke. "Naruto says that he's proud of you, and that if he didn't come first, he would kick your ass."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at that, but couldn't stop the happy blush that make his cheeks turn pink. The crimson eyes grew hazy once again, and the blond head nodded at something neither could hear. The red faded, to be replaced by sapphire blue, but something remained that made both males blink in surprise. Naruto was back, but his eyes retained the slit pupil of the Kyuubi.

Naruto sighed as he settled firmly back into his body, rotating his neck so it cracked multiple times. He slipped a kunai out from underneath their pillows, but was stopped by Jiraiya when he put the edge to his wrist.

"What are you doing?" the Sannin exclaimed, and Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"I was gonna let the Kyuubi out, so we could all talk face to face." Jiraiya's eyes widened at that, but they narrowed again at the sight of the sharp edge pressed to the thin skin.

"Ok, I get that. But why are you about to slash your wrist?"

Naruto looked at him like he was stupid. "'Cause the only way for the Kyuubi to come out, is to use a Chi Bunshin. A blood clone."

Both Sasuke and Jiraiya's mouths dropped in a silent O of understanding, and Naruto slashed his wrist, dropping the kunai and flying through the hand seals.

_Chi Bunshin no Jutsu_, he thought, finishing the last seal and watching once again with morbid fascination as his blood condensed into a sphere in front of him. The wound healed with a small flash of red chakra, and he opened his mouth to warn them about the backlash, but he was too late. A shockwave of red chakra pulsed out from the sphere, and he hissed at the tugging sensation centered on the seal on his stomach, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. It wasn't painful like the first time, but it was definitely a sensation that he didn't like.

The draining feeling stopped, and he opened his eyes slowly when the feel of coarse hair brushed against his arm. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to him, was the Kyuubi. Sasuke was already up and over at the dresser, taking a pair of loose exercise pants out and throwing them to the transformed Bijuu. Jiraiya was simply standing there, his eyes wide and body tense, as though he expected an attack.

Naruto sighed, and he thought he had done it without anyone noticing, but the Kyuubi looked sharply at him when he stood to put on the pants. Naruto flinched at the sharp looks he received, noticing that Sasuke had the Sharingan activated. He smiled wanly at his partner, spreading his arms to the side.

"Well, how do I look?" he asked, and Sasuke sighed, glaring at him without heat.

"Your chakra is fluctuating rapidly, like it did back in the Chunin exams when Orochimaru put that seal on you to separate yours and the Kyuubi's chakra." His gaze switched to the fox next to him. "So is his. Also, where you two are sitting so close, your chakra is trying to reach out to the other. I don't think it's a good idea for you two to be separate for very long."

They all blinked in surprise at that, but it was the Kyuubi who spoke first, sitting back on the bed and leaning in to examine Naruto's seal, and then his own. The spirals in the center of both their seals were fading, but Naruto's was going at a faster rate, and the Bijuu snarled mentally as he realized what was truly going on.

"Hmm…well that makes sense now," he murmured to himself.

"What does?" Jiraiya asked, seeing the same thing the Kyuubi was. The very tip of the spiral inside Naruto's seal was gone, and even as they spoke, a small portion faded away. The Kyuubi's spiral was doing the same thing, if at a slower rate.

"It seems that Naruto cannot live without my chakra, and in turn, I cannot live without his." His eyes flashed in frustrated anger, and he looked at Naruto, watching as understanding filled the sapphire eyes.

"We can't separate even when I'm older, can we?" Naruto whispered, feeling sick when the Kyuubi nodded slowly. A clawed finger reached out, and slowly traced the designs etched into Naruto's abdomen.

"No, we cannot," he returned, his voice just as soft. "The Yondaime created this seal far too well. It is a literal binding of our chakra, though our consciousness will remain separate. It seems that I am now…" The Kyuubi trailed off, not wanting to finish his words. If he did, it would make it real. He knew it was irrational to think that, but for the first time in his long life, he was truly terrified.

"Mortal, like me," Naruto whispered, and the Kyuubi nodded reluctantly.

"I see…" Jiraiya breathed, bending over slightly so he could look at the identical seals on both toned abdomens. He looked between the two, frowning in concentration. "I never really had a chance to study the seal up close, but it looks like the Kyuubi is right. When you die Naruto, so does he."

"But that's not fair!" the blond exclaimed, looking between the two men with pleading eyes. "I mean, the Kyuubi is immortal damnit! It's just not fair that he has to die when I do!"

Before either could respond, Naruto snapped his eyes the Kyuubi, his face scrunched up in excitement and hope. "Hey! You said that with seals, nothing is impossible, right?"

The Kyuubi and Jiraiya exchanged a tolerant, amused look, before the beast looked back at Naruto, nodding.

"Well, if nothing is impossible, then there has to be a way to alter the seal so you don't die when I do!"

"Naruto…" Sasuke said quietly, trailing off when the blond looked at him in question. Sasuke looked between Jiraiya and the Kyuubi, seeing the resignation in both sets of eyes. "I don't know-"

"NO!"

He scrambled from the bed, staggering slightly, but he slapped away Jiraiya's helping hand. Sasuke stepped behind him, putting his hands on the trembling shoulders, and he could feel some of the anger drain away as Naruto leaned back into him slightly. "Baka, what if there isn't a way?"

Naruto froze at his softly spoken words, then snarled and whipped away from his embrace. Those eerie slit pupils were contracted in anger as he snarled.

"Fuck that! The Kyuubi didn't have a choice to be sealed in me! Just like I didn't have a choice! How is it fucking fair for him to die with me?"

The three stared at him, but it was the Kyuubi who moved first. The slap resonated through the room, leaving Naruto with shock widened eyes, as he slowly turned his head back to look at the Kyuubi.

"No, it's not fair," the Kyuubi snarled, pushing himself right into Naruto's face. "Nothing in this world is fair, kit. It's about time you figured that out, and get over yourself." His snarl deepened as the stubbornness that was pure Naruto settled over the boys face, and he stepped back. He hesitated just long enough for the wariness to leave the sapphire eyes, and then he slapped him again. This time however, he used his claws, and four crimson lines appeared over the whisker scars. He stared evenly into Naruto's eyes as the boy raised a tentative hand, touching the blood that was slowly beginning to roll down his face before they healed.

"Drop it Naruto," he hissed angrily. "Your father made this seal so I die with you, and even I can admit that the man was a Seal Master. I highly doubt there is a way to alter it that much, and even if you did, it would probably kill you in the process. You need to accept that, and move on."

The Kyuubi looked around him, pissed, scared, and worried, and frowned at the shocked looks he was receiving. He thought over what he had just done and said, and he shoved all his emotions down, turning to face Naruto squarely. Naruto's eyes were impossibly wide, his mouth working silently.

"My…father?..." he whispered, and the Kyuubi cursed mentally as he nodded in affirmation. Might as well tell the boy the truth, now that it was out there.

"Yes," Jiraiya said from behind him, and the Sannin walked up to his side, as Sasuke walked over to Naruto, enveloping the other boy in a hug from behind. "The Yondaime was your father, Naruto."

"But…why would my father…"

"Seal me inside his own son?" the Kyuubi asked quietly, and Naruto nodded. "Because the Bijuu have to be sealed inside a newborn, since the chakra pathways aren't fully developed. It's so the human we are sealed inside can grow and adjust to our chakra. If it was an adult, they would either be killed, or driven to madness instantly."

"You were supposed to be seen as a hero," Jiraiya said softly, refusing to look at Naruto. "We don't know why the Kyuubi here attacked us, but because of you and your father, Konoha was saved."

The Kyuubi opened his mouth to answer the blatant question, but a soft growl from Naruto stopped him. Sasuke's eyes were blazing with indignation as he glared at Jiraiya, but their attention was on the trembling figure of the blond.

"You knew…" Naruto hissed quietly, and Jiraiya almost took a step back when the furious, pain filled eyes were directed at him. "You fucking knew and you didn't say anything? You and the old man knew he was my father, but you didn't say one damn word!" His hands clenched into fists as he took a step towards the Kyuubi and Jiraiya. "You both knew!"

"Naruto, what- " the Kyuubi started, but was cut off when Naruto and Sasuke's dual growls echoed through the room, deadly killing intent beginning to leak from them.

"How fucking stupid was he?" Sasuke said softly, but the tone was dangerous. "What the hell did he expect when he sealed you inside Naruto? Did he expect the Village to embrace him as a hero? To welcome him with open arms? Was the Yondaime that fucking stupid!"

"Yes, he did," Jiraiya answered evenly. "His sincerest hope was that the Village would see Naruto as a hero, as the one that was keeping the Kyuubi from destroying them."

"He was a dumbass."

They all stopped at the acidic words, watching as Naruto walked out of Sasuke's embrace and over to the dresser they shared, stripping off his pants. Naruto started jerkily pulling on clothing, a tight long sleeved black shirt, and baggy black pants, every movement broadcasting his anger. After he buttoned the pants, he stopped, and glanced over his shoulder at the Kyuubi.

"You should return to me, Kyuubi," he said quietly, and because of the Kyuubi's position, he was the only one that could see the confusion and betrayal that Naruto was feeling. However, he wanted to talk to Jiraiya more, so he narrowed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Don't fucking _argue_ with me!"

Killing intent, fueled by rage and a lifetime of loneliness and hate smashed through the small room. It was powerful enough to make Sasuke and Jiraiya sweat, but the Kyuubi sadly shook his head, sighing. Instead of arguing and making his Host even more upset, he decided that it would be better to speak to him later, when he wasn't so emotional. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the clone, and winced as his paws hit cold water. Closing his eyes, he settled down inside of the cage, not missing the exchange of chakra between him and his Host as they refueled each other. He extended his awareness so he could watch, and listen to what was going on in the outside world.

Naruto took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down as he began strapping his pouches and weapons to his body, Sasuke coming to his side and following his example. In a short time, they were both armed to the teeth with scrolls and weapons, and Naruto gave his partner a look full of gratitude. Turning, his face became stony with anger as he faced Jiraiya.

"If the Village had known who I was, the shit I went through never would have happened," he spat out, feeling slightly guilty when Jiraiya flinched at his venomous words. He shoved it away through. "Who the hell do you people think you are, keeping something like that from me? Did you think I wouldn't understand why the hell he did it?"

"Do you?" Jiraiya asked quietly, and Naruto's eyes narrowed as his voice turned icy.

"Yea, I fucking understand. I understood it when I first found out that the Kyuubi was sealed in me. I am not some ignorant little whelp like everyone seems to think I am. I get that he had to seal it in a baby, and I also get why it was me. He put the Village before himself, being a good little Hokage."

The bitter, sarcastic words ate at him, but he couldn't stop them. "He turned his son into a punching bag for the entire Village, because he chose to ignore the true nature of humans, and hope for the best. Yea, thanks a whole fucking lot dad. And then you and the old man chose to not tell me who my father was, and let me live for twelve fucking years wondering why everyone hated me." He clapped, and each sharp sound made Jiraiya and Sasuke both flinch. "Wonderful fucking job there."

"Naruto- " Jiraiya began, but closed his mouth when Naruto snarled darkly.

"I don't want to hear your fucking excuses Ero-Sennin. You all got what you fucking wanted. You wanted me to protect the Village, well I'm going to, just to prove everyone fucking wrong, and that I'm not the damn Kyuubi. I know why he did it, and I still respect the Yondaime for the choice that he made, since I would probably have done the same thing if I was in his place."

Naruto took a deep breath and closed his eyes, putting a stranglehold on his emotions. Still with his eyes closed, he spoke. "From now on I'm going to take his last name, because I respect him as a man, and as a Hokage, and the Namikaze name needs to live on."

"But not as a father," Jiraiya said sadly, hearing the clear omission. Naruto opened his eyes, giving him a sharp look.

"No, not as a father. I understand it, and respect his decision, but I hate him for it. I'll never forgive him, or you for the hell my life has been, because I didn't know the truth."

Jiraiya was frozen to the spot as Naruto bowed, his eyes glittering mockingly. "We'll meet some other time, Jiraiya-sama." As Naruto and Sasuke walked past him, he wanted to reach out and grab the boy that he had known, and beg for forgiveness. He had too much pride for that though, and as their chakra signatures disappeared from his senses, he sat down heavily on the bed.

He never wanted Naruto to grow up ignorant of his origins, but when the Sandaime had ordered that Naruto wouldn't know of his father, he had gone along with it. He knew the reasons, and understood them. The Yondaime had too many enemies, and Naruto would have been killed simply for the fact that he was Minato's son. It wouldn't have mattered that he had the Kyuubi sealed in him. Iwa would still kill him if they found out that he was the son of their most hated enemy.

He could have taken the boy and raised him, but he hadn't. He could have told him who his father was, but instead, he had kept his mouth shut, and left Konoha so he wouldn't see Naruto. Every time he did, he always wanted to spill his guts, but his oath to his mentor had kept the words inside. Even so, Jiraiya had never expected Naruto to react the way he did, though truthfully he shouldn't be surprised.

Sighing deeply, he stood. He might as well search through this hideout, to see if he could find anything on Orochimaru. He would give Naruto the space that he wanted, and would wait until the blond had sent him a toad. It was the least he could do for betraying the trust that was given to him blindly during the Chunin exams.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: "Ha! Fuck yea Gaara!" Kankuro shouted, laughing at the same time. His eyes were alight with vicious satisfaction as he beamed at his younger brother. "I was wondering if you were gonna keep that promise!"**

**Theme: The Resistance - Anberlin**

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By the time they got out of the catacombs that was Orochimaru's hideout, Naruto had calmed down enough to feel slightly guilty about what he had just said, though he was still pissed as all hell. What he truly regretted, was his hasty message to Jiraiya that sent the snake bastard away from Sasuke. Racing over the water, he slowed then stopped, causing Sasuke to do the same, and look at him in confusion.

"I…" he began, and then bit his bottom lip. Closing his eyes, he swallowed his embarrassment. "I'm sorry Sasuke."

"For?"

Naruto blinked, and looked at his partner. Sasuke was watching him with those flat black eyes, but as Naruto continued to fidget, he sighed, looking away. "Naruto, I'm not mad at you for what happened with Orochimaru. I would have liked to learn more from him, but I get the feeling that…" He trailed off and frowned, looking to the north. Naruto blinked, wondering what he was looking at, but then he felt it. There was a strong chakra signature coming towards them, and it was coming fast. Sasuke hissed something softly, but Naruto wasn't paying any attention.

The humming of anticipation that was coming from the Kyuubi had him distracted with the thrill of bloodlust that went up his spine.

Sasuke disappeared into the water with barely a ripple, but a huge grin cracked Naruto's face when he saw a familiar head of red hair appear on the cliff top. All his dark emotions were forgotten on a pure wave of happiness at seeing his friend after so long. He didn't understand why Gaara was here, but that tidbit was pushed aside easily.

"Gaara!" He shouted the word and took off as Gaara leaped from the cliff, landing on the surface of the water below. He closed the distance between them quickly, his grin turning wicked as he decided he was going to try and pounce on him. Leaping off the surface of the water with the intention of tackling his fellow Host, he was stopped dead by a wall of sand. Scowling, he staggered back, rubbing the scratchy feeling of his cheek. The sand swirled, neatly packing itself back into the gourd and revealing the teen behind it.

Gaara inclined his head, though Shukaku was literally dancing in their mindscape, and he could hear a low hum of conversation between the demons. He couldn't male out the words though, so he turned his mind to the blond in front of him.

"Naruto. Where is the Uchiha?" he asked, and his lips twitched when Naruto's face took on a comical look of utter embarrassment. Whipping around, the blond started searching the water, and Gaara conveniently forgot to tell him that there was a shadow underneath his feet. Within moments, Naruto had been pulled down, and Sasuke was standing on the surface, smirking as he looked coolly at the red head. Naruto's head popped back up, and Sasuke ignored him as he sputtered, levering himself back onto the surface of the water.

"Gaara." They both inclined their heads in polite greeting. Sasuke knew from experience that fucking around with Gaara was a bad idea, and the easy, dangerous way the other teen was holding himself only reinforced that perception. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a question I need answered first."

Naruto flicked the dripping wet strands of hair out of his face, and glanced at Sasuke. The Uchiha only smirked, inclining his head slightly towards the red head. Scowling, Naruto heard the silent words loud and clear. _He's your friend. You deal with him._

"I might have an answer," Naruto mumbled, still scowling at Sasuke, only getting more annoyed as the cocky smirk slowly widened.

"Who is the current Kazekage?"

Their silent staring contest was ended as both boys looked at him in surprise, but Naruto answered anyway.

"About six months ago, a man named Kenshin took the hat. I heard that he used really nasty shit to get the position away from your sister."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the two other teens heads tilted to the side, obviously listening to something that he couldn't hear. Sighing, he let it go. It would probably happen quite a bit now that both of them were more in tune with their Bijuu. He idly wondered if that was what Gaara was here for. It would be nice to have another ally, even if they had tried to kill the other the last time they were together. Chills raced up his spine as a predatory smile spread across Gaara's face, revealing a sharp, white grin.

"I don't have to kill Temari and Kankuro then. They tried keeping to the rules I set for them. Do you know where this Kenshin is currently? Is he in Suna?"

Sasuke barely registered the words, since he was paying attention to Naruto. His feline pupils had narrowed to dangerous lines, and his face was slowly becoming red in anger. He could almost hear the sharp teeth grinding as he answered absently. "Currently he should be in Konoha, negotiating bullshit trading agreements with the Hokage."

"YOU FUCKING FOX!"

Both boys cringed at the yell, taking a step away as Naruto's blue chakra began to manifest around him in his anger.

"I can't fucking believe you! You knew all this damn time that Gaara was on his way here, and you never told me?" The bright blue eyes narrowed dangerously at something the Kyuubi said. "What do you mean you forgot? How can you fucking forget something like that? You're a damn Bijuu!"

He deflated abruptly, reaching up a hand to rub his forehead. "Yea yea, whatever. Fuck Kyuubi…if you know something like that, tell me? No more fucking secrets…I'm tired of secrets."

Sighing, Sasuke walked over to him, and carefully took one of his hands. Ignoring the interested look of Gaara, he gently kissed the back of a tan hand, getting Naruto's attention.

"Leave it for now," he said quietly, knowing Naruto would read his understanding and sadness. As expected, the blond gave him a small, thankful smile, and sighed. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and looked at Gaara.

"Alright, the Kyuubi wants to know if we're going to go kill this Kenshin bastard, and get the hat for Temari."

Sasuke blinked and dropped his hand, schooling his face into a calm mask as he looked between them. What the hell? He thought Gaara was the one who wanted to be Kazekage, not Temari. Gaara's lips twitched slightly, though by this point he had his mask back on too.

"You seem confused, Sasuke. When I left to come join you, I told Temari and Kankuro that they were the only ones allowed to become Kazekage. If anyone else were to claim the hat, I would kill them."

"When did you leave?" he asked, brows knitting together in a confused frown. Well that solved the question as to whether or not Gaara was joining them.

"Two weeks after you did."

"So…" he trailed off, and then sighed. "You've been somewhere for this past year. Considering the way your dressed, I imagine you've been training?"

Gaara nodded as he turned on his heel, the other two following with thoughtful frowns. They were silent until they reached the cliff wall, and as Naruto and Sasuke were getting ready to start climbing, sand delicately wrapped around them. They were gently lifted to the top of the cliff, and when their feet hit the ground, the sand swirled in oddly beautiful patterns as it settled back into the gourd.

"I have been training with Shukaku, in the jungle to the north of here."

They nodded and took to the trees, Naruto giving a single look back to the concealed entrance of the hideout – and where Jiraiya was. His lips tightened as the rest of the emotions he had shoved away tried to resurface. _Later, later…_

**-x-x-x-x-**

"So after you kill this guy, what are we going to do?" Naruto asked quietly, staring up at the full moon through the leaves. Above him on another branch, Gaara shrugged.

"I would not mind finding a secluded place to train ourselves," he said, his lips twitching when Naruto's face exploded into a huge grin.

"Yea! And I can become a Seal Master, just like Ero-Sennin and…"

His voice trailed off as he thought of what he was about to say. _The Yondaime._ His _father_. Silence reigned as he stared down morosely at his hands, until a soft hand on his shoulder brought his head around. Sasuke was kneeling on the branch, his head cocked to the side a little.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, and Naruto shook his head.

"No…not really," he admitted quietly, and Sasuke nodded, letting it go. He let out a silent sigh of relief and closed his eyes. He wasn't ready to explore the new information given to him accidentally by the Kyuubi. Even though he had his suspicions, ever since he had seen the picture hanging in the Hokage's office. They looked too much alike, him and the Yondaime. No one else had the same bright sunshine hair that they did, or the bright blue eyes. He had refused to believe it though, because what kind of father would seal a demon in their own son?

"**The kind that was dedicated to his Village,"** the Kyuubi muttered, and he snarled at the beast.

"**I don't want to hear you right now!" ** He knew the words were childish, and didn't really care. The Kyuubi sighed and retreated from his mind, and he let the thoughts go as well, turning his face up to look at Gaara.

"Well, how are you going to do this?"

Gaara looked down at him, and then back to the sky, his eyes glued to the moon. Naruto watched as a small, vicious smile appeared.

"I want to kill him in a public place, so they know that I am keeping my promise."

Those words sparked an avalanche of thought inside his head, and he frowned, remembering a conversation he had overhead between Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"Kill him while he's in the Council Chambers, with the rest of the members. That will get everyone's attention for sure."

Sasuke and Gaara both stared at him, and he blushed. "What? I thought you wanted them to know it was you that killed him?"

They just kept staring as he started to fidget. Finally it was Gaara who broke the silence. "How do you propose we get into Konoha, and into the Chambers?"

Blinking, Naruto thought about it. "Well, we'd have to get into Konoha at night, since none of us want to go back to our Villages yet." _If ever_ were the unspoken words following that. "If the Kazekage is there to do the trade thing, then they'll be meeting in the Chambers pretty much every day until it's resolved, or the Hokage's office. Either way, get into the room while it's empty…"

He trailed off when the Kyuubi laughed. "**Kid, why not use a clone?"**

"**If he uses a shadow clone, they'll know,"** he said back in a thoughtful tone.

"**I forget how ignorant you are. There are more clones then just the shadow one. I can show you how to make them real, like the blood clone. Now, make a single Kage Bunshin."**

Jumping to the ground, Naruto did, and a simple three point seal floated into his brain.

"**Now, apply that seal in blood to the back of its neck. A word of warning, kit. This particular clone can only be used by a Host, unless they have a chakra reserve that is equal to yours. Sasuke might, given enough training…"**

He followed the direction, and gasped when he pulsed chakra into the seal, activating it. His chakra plummeted as it was sucked into the clone, and stabilized just as quickly with an influx of the Kyuubi's. He stared into identical blue eyes as Sasuke and Gaara landed on either side of him.

"What did you do?" Sasuke whispered hoarsely, his Sharingan flaring in the darkness. "I can barely tell which one is which!"

Cocking his head, the real Naruto looked at him, and the clone looked at Gaara. "How can you tell the difference?" he asked curiously.

"You have a faint red tint to your chakra, because of the Kyuubi. Your clones are always pure blue, but this one…this one has that red tint, though it's not as strong."

"Huh," he said thoughtfully, his head cocked to the side as he looked at the clone. He knew that this was a clone, but as the original, that was probably to be expected. Slowly, a smile curved his lips.

"Perfect. This is how we'll do it."

**-x-x-x-x-**

Early the next morning, Tsunade yawned as she walked into the Council Chambers. After hammering out some of the details with the Kazekage, they still had to get the trade agreements approved by the Council. As such, they were there at the unholy hours of the morning, before the sun had even peeked over the horizon. Sitting down, Shizune standing behind her, she waved her hand as a sign to begin the meeting, and let her mind wander as people started talking.

She was startled out of her musings when the door slammed open, a familiar fist of sand shooting in and grabbing hold of the Kazekage. Jumping out of her seat, she whirled around towards the door, absently noticing the ANBU already surrounding the three figures.

"Who are you?" she demanded harshly, squinting to see past the morning sun streaming in behind them.

"Awww Baa-chan! I'm hurt that you don't remember me!"

She blinked. "Naruto?"

One of the figures detached from the shadows and jumped on her, giving her a tight hug. "Yep!"

The word was shouted in her ear, and with a twitch of her eyebrow she sent him flying back into the wall. On the verge of starting a tirade, there was a blood curdling scream, and she whipped around just in time to be spattered with blood from the late Kazekage. Scowling, she turned back to the three, not caring to much about the newly deceased.

"What the hell is this all about?" she shouted, and Naruto stood, sheepishly scrubbing the back of his head. She was struck for a moment as to how alike he looked to Minato, just with longer hair.

"Well, Gaara made a promise to Temari and Kankuro, so we're just here to help him!"

Her eyebrow twitched again. "And what exactly was this promise?"

"Ha! Fuck yea Gaara!" Kankuro shouted, laughing at the same time. His eyes were alight with vicious satisfaction as he beamed at his younger brother. "I was wondering if you were gonna keep that promise!"

Gaara's lips twitched slightly as he looked at his brother, ignoring everyone else in the room. Temari was still slightly shocked, but her lips were curving in a small smile.

"I always keep my promises, Kankuro. You know that."

The puppet master gave him a huge grin, ignoring the tense ANBU as he walked to his brother's side. "So what are you guys gonna do now? Come back to Suna and Konoha?"

All three teens shook their heads, but it was Sasuke who answered. "The Akatsuki are going to be looking for Gaara and Naruto, and Orochimaru won't let me go that easily. We will be around."

"Wait!" Tsunade shouted as they made to leave, but unfortunately the words she said after that were drowned out by the Council, who finally seemed to snap out of their shock.

"You can't get away with this!" Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

"He was the Kazekage! You need to be punished for this!" Gaara's frown only deepened.

"Demons! You should have been killed when you were children!"

Sasuke's killing intent flooded the room, making even Gaara and Naruto blink at him in surprise. His Sharingan was nearly glowing with his rage, but he faced the Council with his stoic mask on. Only his two companions could hear his teeth grinding.

"Shut. Up."

Surprisingly, everyone did. Except Danzo. He was standing, palms pressed tightly to the table top, but he was glaring at the three boys.

"Hokage-sama. For the safety and protection of the Village, I cannot allow them to leave." He raised his hand to signal his ROOT members, but was stopped by a flare of vile chakra, and a single, delicate finger wrapped around his wrist. Even as his flesh started to smoke from the pure heat of the chakra, he calmly looked at Naruto, who only had a single finger extended in his direction. His eyes were red, and he had the claws, but that only part of him that was enveloped in the Kyuubi's cloak was his hand.

"Now now Danzo," Naruto purred none too kindly. The Kyuubi had told him stories about Danzo, and he had found papers of Orochimaru's indicating that the old man was in league with him. Needless to say, if they hadn't already killed the Kazekage, Danzo would be a burning into ashes. He smiled slowly, revealing his fangs. He had been hoping Danzo would be here. He had a separate plan that Kyuubi had helped him figure out.

"You know, it makes me wonder what everyone would say if I told them of your dealings with Orochimaru, hmm? Or of the Sharingan eyes that are embedded into your skin?"

Danzo went pasty white as the entire Council went deathly silent, but he faced them with calm eyes.

"He lies. You would believe the word of a demon over mine?"

Before anyone could respond, a whole hand of chakra shot out, encircling Danzo and making the man wince with pain.

"**You ready Red?"** He asked, and felt the fox's affirmation. "**Well then tell Shukaku, so we can get this show on the road."**

There was no slow build up. One moment, the room was only lightly filled with the Kyuubi's chakra, and the next moment, the cloak flared to life around him, Gaara's did the same, and then Sasuke's followed. With Sasuke and Gaara behind him, he stepped nimbly onto the table, the 5th tail starting to form behind him. With each step, another tail formed, though his body didn't change. That was one of the things Kyuubi had agreed with him on. Naruto could use the chakra without changing, unless that was what he wanted.

"You all throw the word demon around, but do you really know what that word means?" He started laughing as he crouched down in front of Danzo, a full seven tails weaving behind him. "Everyone claims that I'm a demon, but you don't know what a real demon is. A demon is someone who puts his own ambitions before the good of the Village. Orochimaru, the Akatsuki…" His voice softened as he leaned closer to Danzo, watching with a surge of pleasure as he paled even more, and actually flinched when the tip of one of his tails whipped around, scorching his cheek. "You."

He leaned in even closer, with the Kyuubi whispering heated, revenge filled words in his mind. Channeling so much of the Kyuubi's chakra, he was able to feel all the Sharingan eyes that covered Danzo's entire right arm, and he thanked the Kyuubi for being the one to evolve the Sharingan, and as such, be able to control it. Granted it was a two way street if the Sharingan was evolved far enough, like with Madara, but none of Danzo's were that far along.

Smiling sweetly, his tails whipped forward and stabbed right into every single stolen eye. Blood spurted from Danzo as he screamed, and something shifted in him as the thick liquid splattered onto him. He wanted to feel more, he wanted to bath in it, rejoice in the killing of such a monster-

Arms wrapped around him, and he froze, panic roaring through him. He knew those arms, and he didn't want Sasuke getting hurt!

"Let it go, Naruto," Sasuke whispered, and Naruto did instantly. The Kyuubi's chakra died from around him as his eyes returned to their normal blue, Danzo falling into an unconscious heap on the floor now that Naruto wasn't supporting him anymore. He whipped around and buried his face into Sasuke's chest, inhaling the fresh clean scent that he always associated with the Uchiha. Slowly, Sasuke steered them back to the door, and Gaara. The three stood, and looked out over the shocked audience.

"Baa-chan, Danzo needs to be healed, and then questioned. The Kyuubi told me some of the stuff he did, but I don't know all of it. I do know that he is bad for the Village, and despite leaving, this is still my home." He gave her a cheesy grin from underneath Sasuke's arm, and then waved. "Well, it was nice seeing everyone again! But we gotta go."

As one, the three touched the backs of their necks, and disappeared in poof's of smoke, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"They were clones," Tsunade said in awe to herself, before shaking off the feeling. Looking around, she started barking orders, and as Danzo was taken away, she allowed herself a small, pleased smirk, looking out the busted door.

_Well things just got interesting._

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto's eyes shot open, and he winced as he flexed his hands. Closing his eyes, he breathed the clean air from on top of the Hokage monument, hearing his companions doing the same. He was slightly worried about the way the Kyuubi's chakra had almost made his clone lose control, but he had known when he made the deal the effects of using that much of the demonic chakra.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, letting out a very girly squeal of surprise and fright, when an unfamiliar hand was placed on his shoulder. He whipped around, his kunai already going for the person's throat, but it was blocked with a ringing sound by another. Blinking, he looked up into the one, smiling eye of Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he shouted, and grabbed the man in a big hug. Kakashi returned it awkwardly, patting his back, and laughing when Naruto pulled back, a beaming smile on his face. Looking around, even Sasuke had a small, pleased smile on his face. "How did you know we were up here?"

"Maa, it was a good guess," he said, flapping his hand. Naruto and Sasuke rolled their eyes, but immediately hid their chakra, making Kakashi's eye widen briefly. "I didn't know you two knew how to hide your chakra like that."

"Yea, well, when you don't want Orochimaru to find you, it sorta becomes a necessity," Naruto said sheepishly, grinning at him. Kakashi grinned back, before becoming serious, the other three following suit.

"What are you going to do now?"

They looked at each other and sat down, Kakashi following suit until they were in a rough circle. It was rough, because Naruto was sitting between Sasuke's legs, his head on the slender chest. They knew it was very long odds that they would be bothered up here, since most people viewed it as taboo to come up here.

"I don't know what we're going to do, but I know that Akatsuki is going to be after Shukaku and Kyuubi, so for now I think we might just go train. Get our skills up to par, ya know?"

Kakashi frowned as Naruto smiled, seeing the new ruthlessness in the bright blue eyes, but he was interrupted as several chakra signatures spiked around them, coming in their direction. Naruto's smile turned into a smirk, and he waved lazily to Kakashi.

"See ya, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Wait! Sasuke!" he called, remembering his original intent in finding them. The three tensed as he summoned a medium sized scroll from another scroll, and tossed it to the Uchiha. "Take that with you, but mind you, I want it back."

They nodded, and Naruto disappeared in a swirl of leaves, Sasuke left in a poof of smoke, and Gaara's sand whisked him away. None too soon, because three ANBU members dropped out of nowhere, surrounding him.

"Kakashi-san, the Hokage needs to speak with you."

He nodded and smiled, waving as he poofed into smoke. He knew what the Hokage wanted, and she would be very interested in learning about his conversation with the boys.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary: He gasped softly when Naruto pulled back, missing even that little bit of heat from his lover though they were lying right next to each other. He hummed softly in pleasure when one of the tan, calloused hands caressed his stomach.**

**Theme: Bad Romance - Lady Gaga**

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Sasuke sat up, frowning sleepily around the small room he was sharing with Naruto and Gaara. A shift of familiar chakra from the roof cleared his mind, and without bothering to put on more clothing then his pants, he quietly exited via the window, climbing easily up. As he walked across, two pairs of faintly glowing eyes flickered towards him. The warm breeze from the ocean wafted across the three as he settled down silently, Naruto immediately shifting to lean his hot frame against Sasuke. Smiling slightly, Sasuke realized what had made him wake up. He wasn't used to sleeping without the furnace that was Naruto's body next to him.

He frowned when Naruto tensed up against him, looking down as the blond reached up and rubbed his forehead.

"Well that answers that," he muttered to himself, and Sasuke exchanged an equally confused look with Gaara.

"What answers what?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto grinned cheekily up at him, eyes dancing.

"Eh, not much. Just that shit is happening like we thought it was going to. Akatsuki is looking for us, and Orochimaru has people looking for you."

Gaara tilted his head to the side as Sasuke frowned, and it was the red head that asked, "How do you know?"

Naruto merely shrugged, but there was a cocky light in his eyes. "I have henged clones scattered all over the place. I got the idea from Orochimaru and Kabuto." He shrugged again as Sasuke and Gaara stared at him, valiantly trying to keep the arrogant smirk off his face – and not succeeding. "What, did the two of you not wonder how the hell we were going to try and stay ahead of them? We gotta protect ourselves somehow, and both Orochimaru and Ero-Sennin always said that being informed was the best weapon."

Sasuke grunted, impressed in spite of himself. He never thought about that, and apparently neither had Gaara. "Alright dobe, I can see that. What do you have them henge into?"

Naruto shrugged again. "Different people and animals." He blinked when the two others started, eyes wide in surprise. "What? Didn't think I could be that smart?"

Neither admitted that that _was_ part of what they were thinking.

"Neh, Naruto. How many clones do you have out there?"

"Hmmm…well there's a blood sealed clone in each Hidden Village. Each one of them has about 20 or so clones that are randomly places. That seal is pretty kick ass, by the way. They can send stuff to me mentally without having to go poof, and I can send them more chakra when they need it, so they can make more clones."

Sasuke blinked a few times, his mind reeling at the implications. "How did you find the contacts?"

"Eh? Oh…well, there's a few of them I got from the shit I did with Ero-Sennin, but most of them were through Kabuto." He grinned sheepishly, though his eyes were alight with a mischievous glint. "Hehe…I was trying to pull a prank on him, so I henged into a bird and followed him once. Saw him meet this funky turtle guy on a bridge, who turned out to be Sasori of the Sand," – he didn't miss the widening of Gaara's eyes – "and I started following him more after that. I got clones on just about every Akatsuki member now. Oh! And I got Shikamaru helping me too."

Sasuke's mind zeroed in on what Naruto had said about the Akatsuki. "You know where Itachi is." It was a statement, not a question. When Naruto turned his crimson ringed blue eyes to him, he held them with determination.

"You're not ready Sasuke. Not with the level that Itachi is at."

Anger flared in him and he narrowed his eyes, his eyes swirling into the Sharingan. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Naruto narrowed his, and the Sharingan disappeared from his eyes. His mouth gaped open in shock as Naruto smiled slightly, though not happily.

"That's exactly what I mean, Sasuke. Itachi can control the Kyuubi with his eyes, because they have been evolved to the final level, something that only one other man has claimed." At this point, Sasuke wasn't sure if he was talking to Naruto, or the Kyuubi. "You're not there yet, but with the Kyuubi's help, you will be. We all will be."

Swallowing harshly, Sasuke closed his eyes and simply breathed. As Gaara began to question Naruto about the Sasori guy, he reviewed everything about himself, and his abilities. What he came up with was pathetic. He had thought that he had achieved more under Orochimaru, but as he looked back, he realized that the snake hadn't really taught him all that much. The longer he thought about it, tuning out the other conversation, the more he realized that the snake must have known that he was teaching Naruto everything that he learned.

The conversation ground to a halt as he sighed gustily and rubbed his forehead, eyes squinted shut in annoyance at himself. They flew open as a hand lightly touched his arm, and he raised his head to look into concerned blue. He smiled, reassuring Naruto, and only then noticed that Gaara was gone, a pale blur jumping across the roofs.

"Where is he going?" he asked quietly, and drew Naruto to him. The blond happily pressed them back to chest, and Sasuke sighed softly as he wrapped his arms around the wide shoulders.

"Mmm…he's gonna go make some sealed clones, to help with our network. It's sorta cool. With just a little of one of the Bijuu's chakra, all our clones stay loyal to us."

Sasuke nodded absently at that, gazing down at the blond head nestled so happily in his arms. The problem with Kage Bunshin was that since they were exact copies, the original usually had a hard time keeping them completely loyal. Pressing a kiss to the silky hair, he was glad that they had a way to keep them loyal. It saved them a lot of problems. Once again he found himself impressed, and smirked a little.

"You amaze me Naruto. How did you ever think of something like the clones?" He could feel Naruto blush slightly.

"Eh, it's nothing special. I just knew that we weren't going to be with Orochimaru forever, and you weren't going to want to go back to Konoha. I just figured that we were going to need our own network, so I started early."

His admiration for him only grew, and smiling, he caught Naruto's chin and turned his head, kissing him gently. He felt the burning desire that always accompanied anything with the blond slip through his veins as Naruto purred, kissing back. It deepened slowly, their tongues slipping out to tangle with the other, wet muscle sliding sensuously against its partner. Sasuke barely noticed when Naruto pushed him down onto the roof, cradling their bodies together as the kiss was dominated by Naruto, their bare chests rubbing together in the humid night air.

He gasped softly when Naruto pulled back, missing even that little bit of heat from his lover though they were lying right next to each other. He hummed softly in pleasure when one of the tan, calloused hands caressed his stomach.

"Neh, Sasuke…" Naruto purred, and Sasuke blinked, narrowing his eyes at the clear predatory tone. His breath caught as the blond shifted, Naruto settling between his legs, one arm on either side of his chest. His heart started thumping rapidly and his eyes fluttered closed as heated breath skimmed his neck. He nearly cried out when soft words brushed his ear. "I want to be inside you, Sasuke. I want to make you moan my name."

Sasuke knew that he should be objecting, but he had always been someone who knew what they wanted. Considering the heat that singed his nerve endings at those words, he concluded that having his blond inside him was something that he really wanted too. They had done nearly everything else to each other, but not this. Now that he was faced with it, and the mental images in his head, he wondered idly as he caught Naruto's lips in a searing kiss, why the hell they hadn't done it before.

He didn't resist as Naruto peeled apart their lips, only to plaster them onto his chest, sending tingles through Sasuke every time they connected. Closing his eyes he buried his fingers in the golden hair, and let his head fall back, doing the one and only thing that Naruto could get him to do.

He let himself go.

When Naruto latched onto a nipple, his other hand fondling the other to hardness, he purred, his fingers flexing in the unruly hair. Naruto laughed darkly, and he shivered at the utterly possessive noise. Slitting his eyes open, he glanced down, feeling desire and a little fear rush liquid through his body. The normally bright blue eyes were two colored, an outer ring of crimson bleeding into the sapphire. The Kyuubi was creeping closer to the surface, and Sasuke had to wonder how much of this dominating personality was Naruto, and how much was the Bijuu. His thoughts were scattered though, when Naruto reached down and literally ripped the rest of his cloths from his body, leaving him completely naked on the roof.

"You are mine," Naruto whispered gravelly, and Sasuke smirked, adrenaline surging through him as he propped himself onto his elbows, using his bare feet to rub up and down Naruto's back. The blond shivered, making Sasuke's smirk widen, but he cried out and let his head fall back when sharp teeth latched onto the inside of his thigh. The coppery smell of blood filled the air as his skin rippled from sensation.

"Fuck Naruto," he hissed, relaxing his body as a rough tongue licked the wounds, then the area around it.

"Mmmm…good or bad?" Naruto whispered, letting his position between Sasuke's legs dictate what he was going to do. Before Sasuke could answer, he licked a long line up his hardened shaft, watching with smoldering eyes as Sasuke twitched, biting his bottom lip to keep from making any louder noises. He took all of Sasuke in his mouth, eyes rapt on his face, taking in every twitch, every small gasp that came from those delicious lips as his own mouth moved up and down slowly.

He grabbed Naruto's hair, his hips twitching with the urge to thrust into that hot mouth, but he restrained himself. He had learned long ago that if he started that, Naruto would simply quit. And Sasuke didn't have the bodily strength to stop him if he did. So he kept his hips still, gasping and twitching with every sweep of Naruto's tongue, moaning quietly when there was suction on the sensitive head.

"Fuck Naruto…" he glanced down, and froze at the pure crimson eyes that were looking up at him. "Or is it Kyuubi?"

A sharp, cocky grin appeared. "We both want you, Sasuke. Kyuubi knows that he has never seen a more perfect body then yours, and I agree." He shivered with Naruto licked his lips, his cock jumping between his legs in fearful anticipation. "You're perfect…and you're mine."

Naruto licked and bit his hipbone, "Mine to tease," then Sasuke watched as he licked two of his slightly clawed fingers slowly, completely covering them, "Mine to taste". As one finger circled his entrance, Sasuke tensed at the foreign feeling but it was forgotten when Naruto latched onto his collarbone, sucking and biting until Sasuke fell apart in his arms. His hand clawed down Naruto's back, wave of pleasure radiating out from his very sensitive collar, and when Naruto slid a single finger into him, somehow the feeling he was expecting to dislike sent his pleasure to another level.

He barely even registered it when a second finger was slid in, the burn of the muscles stretching not unlike the strenuous warm ups that he and Naruto performed before sparring, to loosen their muscles. Arching his back, he let his head fall back, a clear invitation to the pale column of his neck. Naruto took it as the fingers began to slowly move in and out, and his eyes flew open as a scream stuck in his throat, when Naruto pressed on a certain spot, a flare of heat acting like a spear directly into it.

"Wha…what the fuck…" he gasped out, then groaned when it was done again. Absently he realized he would be glaring at his lover if he could get past the overwhelming pleasure that was being given to him.

"You like?" Naruto whispered harshly, doing it again and relishing the pleasure slackened face of his Uchiha. He settled on only thrusting his now three fingers in and out slowly, his narrowed eyes glued to the flushed, sweating face of Sasuke.

Licking his lips, Sasuke tried to push through the haze that was around his mind to come up with a properly sarcastic answer, but couldn't find enough will power to do it. Finally, he merely groaned, grabbing onto Naruto's shoulders and digging his fingernails in. "Gods yes…"

"**Kyuubi, you know some interesting tricks,"** Naruto muttered to his tenant.

"**Of course. He is ours, Naruto. I would never let my mate be unsatisfied."** They both smirked cockily, and Naruto leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to the sweaty hairline. "Tell me it's ok, Sasuke. Please."

Sasuke shivered at the pleading that filled that midnight voice, and he smirked at the wave of fierce, arrogant pleasure that filled him. He was the one that put that tone in Naruto's voice, the one that made his tan lover shiver and sweat. The one that had an ancient beast like the Kyuubi lusting after him. Grabbing Naruto's head, he forced it to his so he could stare into the crimson eyes, tilting his head up to lick the full lips slowly.

"If you don't fuck me now," he growled, tightening his hands in the blond hair until Naruto's eyes flared. "Then I will go find someone else to fuck me."

Naruto growled, the vibrations rattling through his bones and making him hiss softly. They kept eye contact as Naruto pulled his fingers out slowly, reaching down to coat his own cock with the pre-come that had been leaking out for the past few minutes. Sasuke growled in impatience as Naruto shifted, aligning himself with the pulsing hole. Wrapping his legs tightly around the tan hips, Sasuke rested his hands on the lean thighs, and cocked an arrogant eyebrow up at him.

"Well? What the fuck are you waiting for baka?"

Naruto's brows snapped together at the challenge, and with a single, smooth stroke, he was buried inside Sasuke. His back bowed as he was stretched and filled, pure fire mixing with pleasure that shot directly up his spine. His onyx eyes rolled back into his head as he grabbed Naruto's forearms, the tile beneath him giving him absolutely nothing to hold onto.

"Like that, teme?" Naruto gasped out, and the cocky answer snapped Sasuke back to himself. Returning the feral smirk, he hooked his ankles together at Naruto's lower back, and used the leverage to start to fuck his own body. Naruto groaned and Sasuke watched with glittering eyes as the blond stared at where their bodies met. Naruto's muscles shivered and trembled as Sasuke started to speed up, but he froze when Naruto groaned softly, but it wasn't in pleasure.

He watched, his eyes slowly narrowing as a thin film of burning red chakra crept out from the seal, enclosing Naruto. Everywhere that he touched his lover, _everywhere_, it felt as though Naruto was literally burning. Sasuke though, he loved it. He would never admit it, but he loved that fucking heat. It burned him, taking away all the coldness that had been in his life.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, causing Sasuke to blink. "I…this is why I never did this, because I didn't want to lose control and hurt you, and…"

His eyes went wide as Sasuke snarled and flipped him until he was the one on top, glaring down at Naruto with his Sharingan bright in his eyes. He leaned down with his hands braced on the bronze chest, growling directly into Naruto's ear.

"Shut the hell up, and just fuck me Naruto." He emphasized that with a hard downward thrust of his hips, making Naruto gasp and grab them, his fingertips digging in, and sure to leave bruises. Sasuke didn't wait for any more objections. Using the leverage of his hands on Naruto's chest he impaled himself as fast and hard as his body would let him.

Hissing, Naruto bit his bottom lip, his fangs breaking the skin and sending blood streaming down his chin and neck. He was very happy at this point that the Kyuubi could control the output of his chakra. With this little, there would be no way someone would be able to sense the demonic chakra unless they were within ten feet of them. It also meant he didn't have to concentrate on it, instead giving his lover his full attention.

The utterly delicious friction on his cock sent him over the edge, and he grabbed Sasuke's hips in a tight grip, grounded his legs, and thrust up the next time Sasuke came down. The red and black eyes widened almost comically, before fluttering closed with a soft moan. Taking his chance, Naruto became committed to giving his lover the best night of his life.

Sasuke only had a chance to dig his nails into Naruto's chest when the blond began to forcefully guide his hips in a smooth, rolling circle. It made his head fall forward, the burn of the Kyuubi's chakra igniting something in him. The Curse Mark exploded through him – making Naruto's eyes widen, his hands flashing through seals as his eyes turned completely crimson – then nothing.

Two of Naruto's fingers were pressed to his heart, a simple seal painted in red, glowing chakra. All of his chakra was sealed. He locked eyes with Naruto's, narrowing them as he opened his mouth angrily, but Naruto chose that moment to thrust into him. He used Sasuke's moment of surprised pleasure to send a tendril of chakra down his body, manipulating his prostate with steady pulses.

Sasuke whimpered and glared down once before letting himself drown in the pleasure. Naruto's eyes flashed, knowing that there was going to be hell to pay tomorrow once they were away from this village. The raven growled darkly and dug his nails into the tan chest, smirking when Naruto winced slightly.

Oh he understood that he couldn't broadcast his chakra like he was about to –albeit against his will – but his lover didn't have to seal him! Naruto had a natural brake with the Kyuubi, and he also knew that if his chakra hadn't been sealed, when it exploded from him it would have been a beacon to whoever thought to look…but damnit…he hated having his chakra sealed!

His growl grew louder as he grabbed Naruto's hands, putting one around his leaking cock and pinning the other down to the roof. Sasuke snarled when the blond opened his mouth, probably to argue, and slammed his body down, filling himself to the hilt and clenching all his muscles at the same time. A strangled groan left Naruto's lips as his eyes rolled backwards, so Sasuke did it again. And again, and again, until Naruto was groaning with every shift of his hips, his hand moving chaotically on Sasuke.

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, gasping when another tug, another thrust brought that liquid gold closer to the surface. "Fuck yes…don't stop…"

Naruto bit his bottom lip, smoothing out the caressing of his hand, timing it to go the opposite of Sasuke's thrusts. He found himself drowning though, when the red and black eyes opened wide, the flushed and sweaty body tensing above him, a guttural moan ripped from the slender neck.

"Ah fuck," he hissed, back arching as he thrust a few more times into the trembling body, his own orgasm rushing through him. The Kyuubi's chakra flared brighter for a moment before leaving all together, and Sasuke could swear that he had heard the beast growl in satisfaction. Sasuke still moved shallowly, milking him until Naruto cried out again, grabbing the pale hips and glaring slightly into the cocky onyx eyes.

"E-enough, Sas…Sasuke…"

"Hn. Now remove this damn seal."

Flinching, Naruto went through a series of hand seals, whispering something Sasuke couldn't hear before pressing his fingertips to the glowing seal. It disappeared, and he breathed deeply as the sense of his chakra filled him once again. Still impaled on his lover, he glared down at the hopeful blue eyes, and snorted. He extracted his body, rolling onto his side on the blessedly cool tile roof, still panting softly. He watched as Naruto lazily rolled onto his side facing him, one of the calloused, tan hands reaching out to caress his cheek.

Smirking, he kissed the palm – the only apology Naruto was going to get – before getting to his feet, refusing to wince at the acing burn that eclipsed his entire lower back. He knew Naruto could tell though, if the satisfaction in the blue eyes was any indication. He refused to do something as childish as sticking his tongue out as the blond, and with as much dignity as he could, he walked naked down the roof, swinging easily into their room. He did wince when he hit the ground, since Naruto wasn't there to see him.

He was already in the shower by the time Naruto joined him, only having to wash his hair and he would be finished. He turned with a smirk when the curtain opened, only to frown at the serious look in blue eyes.

"What is it?" he asked as Naruto lathered his now wet body with soap.

"I got word from one of my clones," Naruto said quietly, stepping under the water and washing his body off. Grunting, Sasuke started washing his hair as Naruto did his, never taking his onyx eyes off his lover. He waited until the shampooing was done, before poking Naruto in the chest. The blue eyes widened, as though he had been caught off guard, and Sasuke had to smirk when the blond blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, was processing information. Um, two Akatsuki members are on their way here."

Sasuke froze for a moment, before stepping out of the shower, Naruto behind him. "Which ones?"

Naruto shook his head, taking the towel Sasuke handed to him and quickly drying off his body. "It's Deidara and Sasori. We need to leave as soon as we get dressed."

Sasuke frowned as he followed Naruto out of the room, nodding to the silent form of Gaara as they went about getting dressed in silence. After everything was packed, Sasuke turned to Naruto.

"We could take them, Naruto," he grounded out, the thought having circled through his head since they had gotten out of the shower. Naruto shook his head, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why the hell not? You know that we can."

"No," Naruto snapped, his eyes hard as gems when they locked onto Sasuke, "we can't. Sasori is ridiculously strong, because of his fucking puppets, and Deidara has special clay that he infuses with his chakra to make some badass bombs. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a damn puppet, or be blown to itty bitty bits."

It took everything Sasuke had to swallow down his own pride. He knew that if _Naruto_ was saying that they were strong, then it was probably true. Even after all this time, Naruto still had a bad habit of rushing off to go fight someone, and as they flung cloaks around themselves, henging into different people just in case, he concluded that maybe, just maybe, Naruto had grown up a little.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary: The three young men bowed formally, and Gaara spoke evenly. "Pleasure to meet you, Tsuchikage-sama."**

**Theme: Blood On My Hands - The Used**

* * *

"No."

"But Kyuubi- "

"I said no."

"But -"

"No."

"Kyuubi…"

The demons eyebrow twitched. "No Naruto."

"Please!"

"No!"

"Fuck you then!"

"Kiss my ass Naruto, the answer is still no."

"WILL YOU TWO FUCKING STOP?"

Both males glanced over, eyes wide with surprise at the yell from Sasuke. The brows were twitching with agitation, the red Sharingan eyes glaring at them in annoyance. Recovering first, Naruto growled and pointed a finger at the smirking figure of the Kyuubi.

"But he won't do the mind thing again! I don't get these damn seals! What the fuck is the point of knowing them if I don't know how the hell to use them, or make them?"

Hands on his hips, he glared at his demon, who only glared right back. Between them on the beach was a multitude of swirling lines and symbols, a seal that was supposed to drain the chakra of anyone who stepped into it. They had been on this island for three months, out in the middle of the ocean, and Naruto was no closer to understanding the sealing art then he had been when they first arrived.

Plunging his hands into his now light blond hair, he glared down at the lines etched into the sand. There was part of it that he understood, but he just did not get how the array in the upper left corner helped with the draining, or the one in the bottom right collected it for storage. He knew they worked, he had seen the proof, but he didn't get _how_ they worked, and that was the most important thing if he wanted to become a Seal Master.

He grunted in greeting as Gaara walked up to his side, also looking down at the elaborate seal. The teal eyes flicked back and forth, a frown creasing his forehead. Just like Naruto, Gaara's pupils had turned into what Shukaku's were, though they were only a shade or two darker then the teal, so they weren't as noticeable as his slit pupils.

"You're an idiot, Naruto," Gaara muttered, and the blond rounded on him, flushing with anger as his hands clenched into fists. Gaara only looked at him and grabbed his wrist, dragging him over to the array in the upper left corner. Then he pointed to a single symbol. "You see that? That is the one symbol that it all hinges on. If that wasn't there, it would explode."

Frowning, Naruto looked at it closer. That was one of the things he had a problem with; to him, there were a lot of symbols that shouldn't have been there, because he couldn't see the point in them. Glancing around the array, he was once again bombarded by signs that he didn't see a need for. Even as he tried figuring them out, his head started to pound, turning it from hard into impossible.

"Argh! I fucking give up! I just don't get it!"

**-x-x-x-x-**

**Kusa (Grass), two weeks later **

Panting harshly, Gaara crouched down next to Naruto, lightly touching the seal that was tattooed on his wrist, activating it. _Did we lose them?_

It was only a half-inch across, tiny symbols embedded in the infinity symbol. Somehow, it allowed them to speak mind to mind, and while it was activated, they couldn't hide their emotions from the others. It was also done in white ink, barely visible against their skin. Just like every single one of their permanent tattoos.

Naruto glanced at him, before his eyes went back to scanning the surrounding, dark forest. Gaara was as well, so he barely noticed when Naruto touched the same seal on the inside of his own wrist. _I think so. Have you seen Sasuke?_

Gaara shook his head, making Naruto frown. There was a shift in the mental connection, and Gaara knew he was reaching out to the Uchiha.

_Neh, Sasuke. Where the hell are you teme?_

The answer that came back to them wasn't words, but a bloody, cocky satisfaction. Frowning deeper, Naruto rubbed his forehead. _Teme, you killed Deidara didn't you?_

An irritated huff came though the link. _Of course dobe. I had the perfect opportunity, so I took it. Now one Akatsuki member is down._

_You dipshit! Because of that we're going to have to leave! Sasori is around here somewhere, and once he figures out that Deidara is dead, he's going to know of one of our places! Damnit, even though we've been training with Kyuu and Shukaku, doesn't mean that you should take on Akatsuki! _

There was surprise on Sasuke's end, and Gaara smirked slightly when embarrassment tinged the link. A sudden idea sprang into his head as Naruto started to rant about Sasuke's ego and hotheadedness, he snorted. The sound instantly brought silence.

_We can use this. Sasuke, take his head and seal it, and tell us where you are. We'll be there shortly._

Naruto frowned at him as Sasuke gave them directions, and they both tapped their wrists lightly, deactivating the seal as they began to leap through the trees to the Uchiha's position. Naruto tried getting him to tell what he was going to do, but he remained silent, ever watchful for any sign of Sasori. He wanted to wait until they had met up with Sasuke before revealing it.

A few minutes later, they landed by a bloody Sasuke, and a decapitated Deidara.

"Alright Gaara. What the hell is your plan?"

The red head smirked slightly, eyeing the storage scroll that Sasuke was bouncing from palm to palm. "We reveal ourselves. It is time the Akatsuki learned that they are not the only SS-Class nin out there."

Naruto frowned even as Sasuke's eyes widened, then both pairs of eyes sharpened in thought.

"I thought we were going to stick to behind the scenes," Naruto muttered, but his eyes glittered, a clear indication that he thought the plan had merit, and was running through several scenarios already.

"No one knows who we are," Sasuke said thoughtfully, "where we are, or what we are even doing. If we play this right, we could come off as merely mercenaries. You were saying that we needed money Naruto, and," he held up the scroll, "his head will get us a lot in Iwa."

The blond frowned even harder for a moment, before a slow, wicked grin stretched his mouth. "Well, then let's get ready to meet Sasori!"

It was ten minutes later that they heard the sound of something heavy being dragged through the underbrush, and the sound of someone muttering angrily to themselves. All three of them wore black capes with very deep hoods, and also white hunter-nin masks. With the color on them – each mask was from a different Village – Sasori would connect the dots and realize that they had killed the hunter-nin that the masks had previously belonged to. It would add to their reputation, plus the benefit of being true. Gaara would be the one to talk to him, Naruto and Sasuke on the branch above in case Sasori decided to attack.

"Sasori-sama," he said to the man who was stopped a good ten yards in front of the tree they were standing on, "I have something that belongs to you."

With that he threw down the body of Deidara, and bowed. He may not like Sasori, but he respected him as a shinobi. He straightened, and waited patiently for the few moments that it took the puppet master to look over Deidara's body. With a nod, flames erupted from his mouth and engulfed the corpse, swiftly leaving nothing behind.

"I take it you have his head then?" Sasori asked, and Gaara nodded once. "Answer me one question. How were you able to kill him?"

Gaara put as much scorn as he could muster into his voice. It wasn't a lot, but he still had to work on expressing his emotions. Well, wasn't that he couldn't, he just didn't care. "Surely you know better than to ask a fellow shinobi that question. Besides, do the Akatsuki think they were the only SS-Class missing-nin in the world?"

The three cloaked figures bowed, and then disappeared in poofs of smoke, leaving behind a confused, but highly interested puppet master.

They arrived less than ten minutes later on the outskirts of the village they were passing through, sealing away their cloaks and masks, and putting on the different henges that they were currently using. Naruto was the mother, Sasuke the father, and Gaara the child. It worked, so it was a setup they usually used, except they switched looks at every village.

_That was awesome, Gaara!_

The now young child looked at the middle aged woman who had a huge grin on her face. He smirked, and lightly brushed a finger over the concealed seal on his wrist.

_Why thank you Naruto. It will give them something else to concentrate on, instead of finding our true selves. _He gave her a huge shit eating grin, while Sasuke rolled his dull brown eyes in amusement. The woman laughed, ruffling his shaggy black hair in a gesture that she knew he hated. As expected, the grin fell into a scowl.

_Awwww my cute little Gaara is growing up! Making plans on his own and-_

She stopped, her green eyes widening at something she was seeing, putting the other two on alert. Then they narrowed in anger as she pulled away from them both, stalking towards an alley a little ways up from their position. Glancing at each other, the two men shrugged and followed. What they found when they rounded the corner ignited their own anger.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Naruto bellowed, grabbing one of the men and throwing him into a nearby wall. Taking in the situation in a blink of an eye, Sasuke went to help Naruto while Gaara stood protectively over the shivering, beaten form of a young blond girl.

"What the hell did she do that deserves something like that?" Naruto screeched, head-butting another man who tried to come at her with a knife. Blood flew from both foreheads but the man fell unconscious, while Naruto only looked more pissed. A snap and a scream later, Gaara flung one of the men who tried coming at him away, his arm broken and now unconscious on the ground. The one remaining man stared at the three of them with wide eyes, stammering something as Naruto stalked up to him, wrapping her manicured hand around his throat and then slamming him into the wall.

"Now tell me why she was being beaten! She can't be more than five years old!"

"Sh-she w-was ste-stealing food! She needed t-t-to be punished!" he stuttered, and Naruto's eyes flicked to the girl that was staring around with wide, terrified brown eyes. Snarling, Naruto turned back to the man, and with no hesitation, she crushed the neck beneath her hands.

"She's nothing but skin and bones. You should have been _giving_ her food instead of punishing her for stealing it!" The man could only gape in fear as blood poured from his mouth, and within a moment, he was dead. Naruto let him fall, wiping her hand on her skirt with a disgusted snort.

With a gentle smile, Gaara knelt next to the girl, holding out a hand while Sasuke calmed Naruto down.

"I'm Lee. My friends and I will not hurt you little one. We only wish to help, and if you'll come with us, I would be happy to buy you food," he said quietly, not missing how she flinched away from his outstretched hand. He waited patiently as she stared at him, her eyes wide, but her hunger must have overthrown her sense of danger, because she placed a tiny hand in his.

Later that night, Sayomi was deeply asleep on one of the beds, and Naruto, Gaara, and Sasuke sat in a circle on the floor, pensive looks on each of their faces.

"What are we going to do with her?" Sasuke asked, watching the girl. Naruto sighed, his eyes the sharp sapphire that told them he was thinking. They slowly started darkening to a stormy grey-blue as he began to frown, the slightest tinge of red creeping into his iris.

"This is no time to get angry," Gaara said quietly, knowing what that tinge of red meant. Shaking his head violently, Naruto scoffed.

"This is the perfect time to be angry. Shit like this," he waved his hand at the sleeping girl, "shouldn't be happening! Why wasn't she taken in? There should have been someone who was willing! An orphanage or…or something!"

The question was answered a few short seconds later when the girl stiffened, then began to whimper pitifully. They only sat in awe as a miniature storm cloud began to brew in their room, a soft rumble of thunder giving testament to the impossible sight they were seeing. They stared upwards, eyes wide as lightning began to arc in the clouds, but it all disappeared when Sayomi screamed and shot straight up in bed. Her hair had changed to perfect white, her eyes completely pitch black, sclera included. Even as they watched, the hair changed back to blond, the eyes to brown.

They smiled at her as she looked timidly around the room, giving them a tremulous smile back when she saw in their eyes they weren't scared. With a huge yawn, she lay back down, snuggled under the covers, and was promptly back asleep.

"Well that explains that," Sasuke said on a breath, propping his chin in his hand as he stared at her in wonder.

"That is an interesting Kekkei Genkai," Gaara whispered, looking back up towards the ceiling where there was no sign of a thunderstorm.

**"Take her to the island,"** the Kyuubi said quietly, in a thoughtful tone of voice. "**There is plenty of food and space for her to learn and grow. Send one of your sealed clones with her."**

"Genius!" Naruto yelled, slamming a fist into the opposite palm. He grinned foxily at his companions as they stared at him, and told them what the Kyuubi had said.

"Makes sense," Sasuke said with a satisfied nod, and Gaara echoed him. With a smirk, Naruto created a clone, then bit his thumb, writing the seal on the back of its neck. He hardly felt the strange swooping sensation of his chakra, after having done this so many times. With that done, they settled in to wait until she woke up.

The next day saw them on their way to Iwa, Naruto's sealed, and henged clone going in the opposite direction towards the ocean, Sayomi riding piggy back.

It was a completely uneventful trip to Iwa to gather their bounty, which they did with no names, cloaks, and masks. Uneventful, until the Tsuchikage asked them to come back later for a possible business meeting. Depending on what it was, if it was something coming from the leader himself, it would establish their reputation among the Villages.

Naruto grinned wickedly, thinking about the amount of money they were going to get paid. So now they were running about in henges, buying things they were going to need, when the Kyuubi mentally smacked him.

**"Brat, let me out. There is something I want to check out."**

He stopped and cocked his head to the side, acting as though he was interested in a particular juicy apple. "**Um, no offense red, but we can only go for five hours apart before I start getting weak. I really don't wanna be weak in the middle of _Iwa_! Did you forget my last name?" **He rolled his eyes and turned away, meandering down the street and pretending to be interested in random stuff.

The Kyuubi growled. "**Namikaze** **Naruto, it will only be for a few damn hours." **

**"No."**

**"Damnit brat! Let me the fuck out of this cage!"**

Naruto snorted and ignored the demon with an automatic twist of his perception. He shifted the few bundles he had and turned, hoping he was going in the right direction of the inn they were staying at. It would really suck to get lost. Grinning, he brushed a finger over his wrist seal.

_Neh, Sasuke. Tell me how to get back to the inn!_

He was sulking the whole way back with Sasuke's directions and laughter ringing in his head.

**-x-x-x-x-**

The three young men bowed formally, and Gaara spoke evenly. "Pleasure to meet you, Tsuchikage-sama."

The little old man grinned wickedly at them, stroking his short beard with one hand. "Eh, youngins who know the traditions." He nodded sharply. "I like it. Now, for the three of you to take down Deidara, it shows that you have skills. The deal is this…"

As the deal grew more and more complicated, three hidden pairs of eyes widened slowly, but it wasn't until the amount of money the man was going to pay them that their jaws dropped.

"We accept, Tsuchikage-sama," Gaara said quietly, and with a mental word, the three vanished.

_I can't,_ Naruto pleaded softly, looking back and forth between the two expressionless faces.

_You mean you won't_, Gaara countered, just as quietly. Naruto winced at the tinge of disapproval, a clear sign that the red head was mad at him. Yet, he pouted stubbornly.

They looked like three, middle aged men, sitting in a crowded bar and having drinks. Everything was normal except for the conversation racing furiously through their minds.

_You are a shinobi Naruto, _Sasuke muttered,_ you're trained to kill. Get over it._ This earned him a pissed off blue glare.

_Fuck you Uchiha. It's one thing to kill someone who's trying to kill you, and another to go in and slaughter them! No, fuck that! I'm not doing it!_

They glared at each other for a long moment, before Sasuke simply stood and calmly walked out the door. Naruto watched him go, anger flaring brightly in his eyes. Huffing, he turned back to the table, and downed his drink.

"I can't," he whispered to himself, seeming to be unaware that teal eyes watched him intently. "I just can't do it. No matter what they did, they will be helpless." He shook his head, his voice even lower towards the end.

"Naruto, you didn't look into these people, did you?" Gaara asked softly, taking a small sip of his drink. The flash of surprise, then the guilt on the tanned face made Gaara nod slightly. "I thought not. For all the work you've put into the network, you can be very lacking in knowledge."

Naruto's growled silently, but swiftly reigned in his temper. They were in a public place, and they couldn't afford to reveal themselves.

"So what did I miss then?" he asked, refilling his cup from the single bottle. It was only water, but it looked enough like saké to fool their fellow patrons. That and the smell of liquor permeated the air, so no one could tell the difference anyway.

"This man and his family have lied, twisted, and cheated their way to the top of the trade here. They control nearly half of the shops here that cater to shinobi, either by fear, or greed," Gaara explained, halting to take another sip. "If they were to be destroyed, the monopoly would be gone, giving the power back to the civilians. The shinobi are really only part of the economy of a Hidden Village. Nearly a third of it comes from the trade that happens by normal people." _The Tsuchikage didn't give us detailed information on purpose. He wanted us to find it out on our own, Naruto,_ he added mentally to the blond.

He glanced at Naruto, and saw a slightly hazy look in the blue eyes that he knew wasn't from alcohol. Sighing, he delicately rubbed the bridge of his nose, his irritation rising.

"Did you understand any of that?" he asked acidly, glaring at the man across the table. Naruto blinked, and smiled wickedly.

"No, I get it. Basically, he went and forced his way to the top, and charges everyone huge prices. Then," he said, mimicking Gaara and taking a sip, his eyes twinkling impishly over the rim, "not only are they screwing civilians over, but also the shinobi, and the Village as a whole. Right?"

Gaara blinked at him, and shrugged. "Precisely. Now, are you going to help us or not?"

Naruto frowned, turning serious. "I won't kill anyone who surrenders, but I will kill anyone who tries to attack us." His eyes hardened, and Gaara sighed silently. He hated seeing more of the cheeriness of the blond being chipped away, but they had decided on this course, and were set to it now.

"That's the only way I'll do this."

Gaara simply nodded, accepting that it would be up to him and the Uchiha to do the actual assassinations. It didn't bother him too much, as long as he was able to protect Naruto's peace of mind. He would do anything with no regrets to protect the happiness of his brothers.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke winced beneath his mask as his kunai sunk through flesh and hit bone, spraying him with warm liquid. He had no time to think about it though, as another guard came hurtling towards him, forcing him to block. Before he could sweep his other arm around to slice his throat, a shadow appeared behind him, the surprised head grabbed forcefully, and then the neck was snapped. Sasuke whipped around to engage another enemy, warmed despite the blood and battle at knowing that Naruto and Gaara were watching his back.

Gaara frowned at the family before him, Naruto and Sasuke standing on either side of the room, glancing between them and the windows. It hadn't taken long to get through the guards they had hired, half trained idiots that they were. Looking down at the papers in his hands, Gaara snickered silently.

_Do you think the Tsuchikage will get mad at us for this?_ He asked silently, plucking two pieces of paper from the stack he was holding. Gently setting the others down, he walked over to the head of the family, crouching down in front of him.

"You will sign these two businesses over to me." He flooded the room with his killing intent as the wife opened her mouth, her eyes snapping fire. The six adults in the room paled, eyes wide as they stared at him. "Now, I will tell you one more time. Sign these businesses over to me."

"Wh-whats yo-your n-n-name?" the head asked, shakily holding a pen as he signed his name at the bottom, but it grew steadier as he filled in a few more portions, before looking expectantly at him.

"Subaku Gaara," he said quietly, and as the man wrote it down quickly, he could feel the surprise and worry that was radiating off his teammates. They could wait though, because as he took the two pieces of paper from the man, he sat down, and pulled out two identical blank sheets. Delicately, he dipped the tip of a very thin brush into chakra infused ink, and easily ran it over his own name, tracing it exactly on both deeds. Once that was done, he flipped them over, and wrote a very small seal in the corners, touching it briefly before writing the exact same seal on the blank pieces. When those activated, all the information was copied over, except for his name. He wrote in a fake one on the copies, and added a single symbol to the tiny seals on the originals. When he did, his name wavered, to be replaced by the fake one. Then all four seals disappeared.

Naruto couldn't help a small whistle at that, as he watched intently. "Fucking genius. No one will be able to tell the difference unless they activate the seal."

Gaara nodded his head as he stood, rolling up the two original and putting them in his pouch, while sticking the copies into his belt. He glanced over the people kneeling in front of him, his eyes stopping on the woman who was holding twin boys. "Fox, take the boys. They are too young to have been a part of this. They do not deserve the punishment that they rest of them do."

"Wait!" the woman screamed, holding onto the wide eyed boys tighter. "I wasn't any part of what they did! I had no-"

"But you knew," Sasuke added coldly from his side of the room. She looked at him, but something odd happened. She simply nodded, her black eyes turning resigned as she gently kissed each boys forehead.

"Go with them loves," she whispered, smiling bravely at them when they looked up at her with big eyes.

"But, momma, we wanna stay wif you!"

"No loves, mom did a very bad thing, and now she has to be punished for it. I take responsibility for my own actions. Never forget that, okay?"

They both nodded tearfully and walked over to Naruto when she pushed them away. It was clear that the other members of her family wanted to say something, but they were scared to under the watchful gazes.

Gaara watched the entire scene unfold with apathy, except for a small kernel of what felt like guilt stirring in his heart. Their mothers had all been taken from them and despite Shukaku howling at him to just kill them all, he found that he couldn't.

"Fox, take the mother with you too, and leave. Now."

He was happy that Naruto didn't argue, but merely scooped the children and woman into his arms, disappearing off into the night through the window.

"Now," he purred softly, echoing the cruel one that was in his mind, "for the rest of you."

They didn't even have a chance to scream as he and Sasuke sliced through them, following the orders of the Tsuchikage.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke threw the bloody scroll on the Tsuchikage's desk, smirking when the man unsealed the five heads.

"There are supposed to be six," he said sharply, looking at them. Sasuke merely shrugged.

"The wife of one of the men was divorcing him, so she took her two children and moved out," he said simply, and didn't budge under the steely, assessing look of the old man. After a long moment, the man nodded, and resealed the heads. He threw them another scroll that Gaara caught. Unrolling it on the ground, he unsealed the large chest of money, nodding to himself after some quick calculations in his head. Resealing it, he stuck it in his pouch and handed the man the two copies of the deeds.

"I happened to convince the head of the family to sign these businesses over to a friend of mine," he quietly said as the old man took them, giving them a cursory glance before nodding. "He will be arriving within a few days, and he will always know how to get in contact with us. Is that all, Tsuchikage-sama?"

The old man snorted, his eyes twinkling wickedly. "Yep, that'll be all youngins. You did good, so I'll make sure that your reputation is spread. What do you people call yourselves anyway?"

"Kariudo," he replied, then the three of them bowed, and left before the old man could reply.

He sat for a long moment, looking at the scroll with the bloody hand print, his mouth stretching into a wide grin. "'Hunters' huh? Not bad. Not bad at all."

**-x-x-x-x-**

"Pakkun, tell me what you know."

The small dog looked away from his staring contest with Shikamaru's bigger dog, snorting. "They'll get their reputation now. The job was good for them. Money, respect." The dog shrugged, which should have looked odd, but didn't. "Sasuke has his own pack, too. I'm the only one that the two of you share in this contract."

"Neh, this is troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, absently petting the fluffy monster that had become attached to his hip shortly before the former Kazekage was murdered. Surprisingly, no one had realized yet that the huge, white dog with soulful brown eyes was in fact a henged Naruto clone. "They really don't plan on coming back if they're going to this much trouble to earn respect as mercenaries."

"Oh, and they killed Deidara."

This statement was met with shocked looks at the dog, before both men sat back, relaxing against a tree to the north of the monument stone.

"I was wondering when they were going to go after Akatsuki," Shikamaru muttered. Pakkun snorted.

"From what I get, it was an accident. Sasuke got a little hot headed, and decided to kill him even though Gaara and Naruto wanted him left alone. It forced them to move from where they were staying at the time. Though…it was because of that they decided on the course of action they've taken."

All the males grew quiet as a calm chakra presence showed up on their radar, and a few moments later, Hinata could be seen walking towards them. She stopped in front of them and bowed, a gentle smile on her face. No one would ever know that she had a temper equal to her mentors Anko and Tsunade. A temper that showed its face whenever someone threatened Naruto, as they had found out about a year ago.

"Kakashi-san, Shikamaru-san, Hokage-sama requests your presence in her office," she said politely, and her message delivered, she bowed again, and walked away.

They both waited until she was out of earshot, and both breathed deep sighs of relief. "Meh, you'd never know that Tsunade is considering her for the next Hokage if Naruto doesn't come back," Kakashi muttered.

"She's really blossomed once her sensei introduced her to Anko," Shikamaru pointed out, not noticing how his dog was watching him with suspiciously bright eyes. "She's already managed to take Tsunade's massive strength technique and improve on it with her Byakugan."

Kakashi nodded and stood. "Not to mention her and Neji disowning the clan when they tried to have Naruto and Sasuke hunted down. Who ever knew she had that kind of steel in her? Pakkun, is that everything?" The dog nodded and disappeared, knowing a dismissal when hearing one. "Well Shika, let's get going. I don't want any of those females mad at me if I can help it."

Snorting, Shikamaru stood, dusting off his pants. "Troublesome women."

A few minutes later they stood in the Hokage's office, both a little apprehensive at the serious look on Tsunade's face. She said nothing, only stared at them long enough for the apprehension to start to turn into true panic. A smile flitted across her face when the door opened again, and everyone turned to see Iruka walk through. The Jounin smiled sheepishly at everyone, scratching the back of his head.

"I didn't delay the meeting did I?" he asked, walking as he spoke until he was in front of Kakashi. Automatically, Kakashi's arms wrapped around the smaller mans shoulders, drawing him back until they were pressed tightly together. No one said a single word about the obviously display. The one time someone had, Iruka had broken her arm in several places, as well as knocked a few of her teeth out. Iruka, much like Hinata, had blossomed under the boost of confidence they had received.

"No you haven't Iruka. Now, we have new information on a mercenary group that goes by the name Kariudo from the Tsuchikage himself." She shuffled a few pieces of paper on her desk, before finding the one she was looking for. She handed it to Iruka, and all three Jounin looked it over. It didn't have much of anything, simply what the Kage hired them to do, and his own observations on who this group could be. It also mentioned that there was a contact in Iwa that could get hold them. Kakashi was relieved to see that the man didn't have any suspicions that the group could be Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara.

"I need the three of you to find them, and tell them that I want to hire them for something. Get them here, but not by force. We don't know what they're capable of, and we need to find out. Dismissed."

Iruka handed her back the piece of paper, and the three bowed before exiting her office. They remained together until they reached Kakashi's and Iruka's apartment, when Shika turned to them.

"We need to talk, Kakashi," he said, blinking when Iruka started to chuckle.

"You mean about the boys being this new group?" His laughter only grew as the other two stared at him. "Kakashi, you've never been able to hide much from me, you know that."

"How…" Kakashi trailed off, and his visible eye narrowed as Iruka's smile turned decidedly evil. He reached in his pocket, and pulled out what looked like a dog treat.

"Pakkun," he said with a shrug. "I give him treats for any information you get."

Kakashi blinked several more times, processing this, before scowling. "How much do you _know_?"

Iruka only gave him a small, secretive smile before waving gaily and walking up the stairs. "Come on up Shikamaru. We can talk in private here, since Kakashi is so paranoid about his privacy."

"Hey!" Kakashi yelled up at him, clearly pouting, "I have good reason!"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered with a roll of his eyes, even though a small smile played over his lips as he and the dog followed the couple. He noticed that his dog wasn't anywhere around, but that was normal. The dog usually went out wandering at night, returning in a few hours, so he put it out of his mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary: ****Nothing was as important to him as Naruto, not even Itachi, and he would do anything to protect the man who held his heart and soul…even if it meant using the Sharingan that the Kyuubi had given him.**

**Theme: The Good Life - Three Days Grace  
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**September, small village in Land of Rivers**

Naruto leaned his head against the shower wall, his eyeballs twitching beneath the lids. He winced as a particular piece of information was sent to his brain from his sealed clone in Konoha, opening eyes that were bloodshot from the strain. He swore softly as he felt the hot blood beginning to drip from his nose and ears, hastily wiping it away.

**"Kit, you're going to kill yourself if you keep this up. It's putting too much strain on your body."**

Naruto snorted softly, reaching up to run his temples to try and ease the migraine he now had. "**Yea I know, but I have more chakra then Sasuke or Gaara, and with your healing, I'm the best to do something like this."**

He ignored the way the Kyuubi snorted quietly. "**Naruto, even with my healing ability, I can only do so much. Just get rid of some of the sealed clones, and it will lessen the strain on your body."**

**"Red, I can't. Our entire network is pretty much dependent on my clones. If I get rid of even one then an entire piece of it goes poof."**

**"Namikaze Naruto, you listen to me boy. If you keep going like this, you _will_ die, and I don't particularly want to die before our time."**

Sighing, Naruto let those words of warning stew in his mind as he washed his hair, noticing how long it was getting. Nearly to his shoulders now, and the thought brought the single picture he had seen of his father to the front of his brain. Wincing slightly, he shoved the picture out of his mind. He had yet to come to terms with what Jiraiya and the others had kept from him, though he hadn't thought about it at all in these past six months or so since he had found out. He winced again when he realized that his birthday was coming up, which meant he had already missed Sasuke's and Gaara's 15th.

He blinked water out of his eyes, realizing that he was the youngest.

Snorting as a mental image of Gaara and Sasuke getting into a food fight not a month ago passed though his brain, he reassured himself that he was more mature than them…ish.

"Naruto, one of my sealed clones just…"

He turned as Gaara walked into the bathroom, cocking a silvery eyebrow at the red head. A blush raced over his body as those teal eyes turned smoky, examining his wet body from head to toe, before locking onto his wide blue eyes.

"Ga-Gaara!" he stammered, stepping back into the spray of water, trying vainly to cover himself because the doors were clear glass. "What do you want?"

"One of my sealed clones in Iwa just sent me a message. Konoha wants us for a mission." With a last, lingering look, the red head exited the bathroom, and Naruto sighed deeply. Well, that matched the information he had gotten from his own clone in Konoha. He quickly washed his body, ignoring the way his skin tingled from all the places that smoldering teal eyes had touched, and got out of the shower.

It was time to do business.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Three days later they showed up in Konoha, easily slipping past the guards and making their way towards the Hokage Tower. Though Sasuke and Naruto tried to hide it, Gaara could feel the tension that was winding through them, even without the mind link activated. He sighed quietly behind his Kiri hunter-nin mask as he introduced them to the receptionist, who told them to wait. None of them spoke, or even thought as they waited, finally being shown into the room that the three of them knew very well. It was no surprise to find Tsunade and Shizune waiting for them, but what surprised them was that Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Iruka were there as well.

_She wants to find out what we can do,_ Gaara told his companions after a slight brush against his wrist. Naruto snorted quietly.

_So that's why those three are here. Whatever she has, I bet they are coming with us, _ending the conversation as the three of them took a single step towards the desk.

"Hokage-sama," Gaara said quietly, and all three of them bowed.

Tsunade watched them carefully for a few moments. They were completely at ease in a room of unarguably the most powerful shinobi in the known countries, and that was very telling. Either they were confident in their abilities – which scared her slightly – or they just didn't care, which angered her. Either way, she had business to conduct.

"I asked you here because I want you to track down someone for me," she said, handing the one in front a folder. She continued to talk as he leafed through it, and her eyes flicked to Kakashi. If they hadn't, she wouldn't have missed the slight tremble in gloved hands when the second man started to look through the folder. Shikamaru didn't miss it though, and he felt a wisp of misgiving when very subtle killing intent started to fill the office. Not enough to alarm, but enough to set everyone on edge.

"Uchiha Itachi. He has been a missing-nin for seven years now, and is a part of Akatsuki. If the three of you can live up to your new reputation, then I don't believe you'll have any difficulties in catching him and bringing me his head. His partner is Kisame, a missing-nin and one of the Seven Swordsman from Kiri. He has a substantial bounty on his head as well."

"What is our timeframe, Hokage-sama?" Gaara asked, handing her back the folder. He had memorized the contents already, so there was no need to hold onto it. It was also never a good idea to hold onto a file of one of the most dangerous missing-nin out there, as well as the possibility of that information getting into the wrong hands.

"You have a week. We have intel from a reliable source that they will be in the Land of Waves in two days time. Kakashi, Iruka, and Shikamaru will be going with you. Dismissed."

They stayed where they were, and the tension in the room grew as the smaller man in front stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, we require half of the payment now for this mission, half when we bring you his head. As well as the bounty for his death."

She gaped at him for a moment, before lacing her fingers together, resting her chin on them. She gave no sign that her thoughts were rapidly changing. She had thought that these might be Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara, but she was growing even less sure with every word and action from them. The Naruto she had known would never had thought of that, or been able to remain as still as statues as the two in back were doing.

"It seems that you truly are mercenaries. Shizune!" The woman behind her snapped to attention. "Give them half of the payment for the job." Shizune blinked, before nodding and doing what she was told. Gaara watched all of it intently, bowing as he took the storage scroll with the money it. "You'll get the rest, and the bounty when you return with his head. However, my Jounin are only going with you to make sure that you keep your end of the bargain. If they help you in anyway, you forfeit half of the bounty."

"Understood. Many thanks, Hokage-sama," he said softly, and then turned to the three men who were coming with them, eyeing them critically. He didn't want to think of how this was affecting Sasuke at the moment, so he concentrated on the business at hand instead. He had purposely deactivated the mind seal on his wrist when he read Itachi's name. He knew neither Naruto nor Sasuke would be able to concentrate after reading the name, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by their mental words.

"A shadow user and a genius, the Copy-Nin, and the Jounin that has earned the nickname Berserker. I suppose this will work. Come, we leave now."

The three in the cloaks disappeared in flashes of smoke, followed by another three. Tsunade sighed quietly as the six people left her office, leaning back against her chair and closing her eyes.

"You think they can pull it off?" Shizune asked quietly.

"I do," Tsunade answered, making sure it was firm so her assistant would drop it. Truthfully, she wasn't sure, but she figured that if Itachi was taken care of, maybe – hopefully – Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara would come back to the people who cared about them.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"You three know who we are, don't you?" Sasuke asked quietly that night, as they gathered around heated rocks. It would just be stupid to have a fire, so the heated rocks were a compromise.

Shikamaru scoffed as Kakashi and Iruka looked embarrassed. "Of course we do Sasuke."

"Then why aren't you turning us in?" Naruto asked, removing his mask and giving the three of them suspicious looks.

Iruka's eyes widened at those words, and the tone. "Naruto! Regardless of why you left Konoha, you've never given us reasons to see you as an enemy! You are my students! Besides, none of you are officially missing-nin."

"Unless you had to," Sasuke said as Naruto flushed in embarrassment and Iruka flinched, but his eyes turned hard as he turned to look at the onyx eyed teen.

"Yes, unless I had to Uchiha. If any of you make any steps to harm Konoha or her citizens – normal or shinobi – I will track you down myself and kill you."

Gaara snorted softly, glad to be rid of the cloak and mask, and all eyes turned towards him. "You would have to get past the hunter-nin first, Iruka."

Iruka gaped at the obvious dismissal of his hard earned skills, and they got into a friendly debate over what would be the best tactic to evade the hunter-nin. Shikamaru caught Naruto's eye, indicating with a slight shake of his head to follow him deeper into the woods. Kakashi and Sasuke watched as they got up and wandered into the darkness, and a silent conversation passed from one pair of black eyes to the other.

_How you holding up, Sasuke?_

_I'm fine Kakashi._

_Can you do this?_

_I've been waiting to do this for years now. Just don't get in my way, or try to play the hero._

Kakashi nodded and went back to listening to his lover and Gaara argue.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"Naruto, why won't you three return? That's the only thing I can't figure out," Shikamaru said quietly, eyes glued to the dark sky between the trees as he examined the stars.

"Why do you think we won't?" Naruto countered, and smirked slightly when Shikamaru gave him a sharp look.

"You wouldn't be going to the lengths you three have been if you planned to."

Naruto winced as the Kyuubi chuckled softly in his mind. "**I forgot about Shikamaru's genius."**

**"Shut up Kyuubi."**

Out loud he said, in a soft, musing voice, "I would love to come back, Shikamaru. Konoha always has been, and always will be my home. But…I don't regret what I did, and after a year and a half, I still don't regret it." He looked over his shoulder to where the rest of the group could faintly be heard, a blush lightly staining his cheeks. Light dawned in Shikamaru's eyes, and he smirked.

"How troublesome," he muttered, and with a wink to the perplexed blond, he walked back to the campsite, leaving Naruto to scramble after him.

Well, now that he knew that Sasuke and Naruto were lovers, the last piece was in place.

**-x-x-x-x-**

_Sasuke, are you sure you want to do this?_ Naruto asked mentally, ignoring the feverish onyx glare that was directed at him. _You don't really know why he did what he did. I mean, don't you want to find out the reasons why he killed everyone?_

_Naruto, I know why he killed everyone. It was to test himself, to see if he was better then everyone._

_Sorry Sasuke, I don't believe it._

They stopped jumping through the trees at his sincere thoughts, and though Naruto flinched, he didn't back away from the furious gaze of his lover.

"What the fuck does that mean Naruto?" Sasuke hissed, making Naruto frown. They were only a few miles away from the main road that would lead them into Wave, and the beginning of their plan to get Itachi and Kisame. They really couldn't afford this argument right now, but there was something about Itachi's story that Naruto couldn't deny.

He simply didn't believe it. At least, not all of it.

"I don't think what he told you was the truth," he muttered, realizing he had Sasuke's complete attention when the dark gaze sharpened.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked quietly. He knew that Naruto didn't have any concrete proof, but he also knew better then to disregard the blond's instincts. Those had gotten them out of more than one tough situation.

"I just…I dunno Sasuke. It just seems…false." He frowned, and looked down at the branch they were standing on, vaguely realizing that Gaara was keeping the other three from getting close enough to hear their words. The red head knew what they were talking about of course, through the seal on their wrists, but he also knew enough to know that this particular conversation wasn't something they wanted overheard.

"When I broke in and stole the Forbidden Scroll, I looked around a bit. I found your brothers personal file, but didn't really start to think about what I had read until we got this job. Everything points to the fact that he was completely, and utterly loyal to Konoha, and hated killing. It even came right out and said that he was a pacifist. Someone with his kind of record…" He shook his head again, not quite sure where his train of thought was going, but Sasuke's brain must have been working better than his.

"It makes me think that he was ordered to…" The thoughtful look in the black eyes was replaced by blazing fury, as the black twisted into the brilliant scarlet of the Sharingan. "Damn you Naruto," he hissed venomously, and launched himself at the blond.

With those simple words, Naruto had taken away every reason he strived to become stronger. He had shoved doubt where previously there was none, and Sasuke knew that there was no way he could kill Itachi now without finding out whether what Naruto had said was true or not.

Naruto squeaked, glad that the sound was lost in the rushing of air as he threw himself backwards, hastily dodging while rolling up his sleeves. There were three storage seals tattooed on the inside of each forearm, and he touched the one highest up on his left. He whipped around just in time to catch Sasuke's Chidori blade with his crossed metal fighting claws, the metal already glowing slightly with his wind chakra. If he hadn't added that bit of wind chakra to them, he would have had to get another set after this. Sometimes he really hated it when Sasuke used the Chidori through his chokuto.

"You know you can't beat me Sasuke, and by fighting, we're just going to bring the two of them here," he said brightly with a big smile, but his eyes were a flat, cold blue. Sasuke merely snarled at him and used his incredible flexibility to curl up and slam his feet into Naruto's stomach, sending him flying backwards into a tree. The wood cracked and splintered, but before he could react, white hot bands of chakra wrapped around him, charring the wood. It didn't bother him, but then again he was used to the Kyuubi's chakra, which could melt stone.

Relaxing against the bonds, he glared at Sasuke, and then looked around. Right below them were the two people they were looking for, and he snapped his head up to glare at his partner.

"I fucking told you!" he hissed, and Sasuke grunted, the entirety of his attention focused downwards.

"We've been tracking you for an hour already you dolt," Kisame said with a snort. "You two arguing just let us pinpoint your location."

"Meh, whatever. Go ahead and kill that one," he said, jerking his head to indicate Sasuke. He was very glad of their hunter-nin masks and cloaks now, and the special seal inside the masks that let them see through the heavy porcelain.

"You do not care that your partner will die? How callous," Itachi said smoothly, and Naruto snorted as he looked down. He knew the moment Itachi tried to catch him in a genjutsu, because the world wavered around him. With his knowledge of where the Sharingan had come from though, he was able to simply shrug it off. Only a genjutsu made with the higher levels of the Sharingan had any hope of trapping him now. Itachi's eyes widened fractionally, before narrowing.

"Hey Itachi, who ordered you to kill your clan?" he asked, watching the blank face intently. It was the very slight hesitation before the man answered that gave him away, and he could tell Sasuke saw it too. His lover stiffened as Itachi spoke.

"No one ordered me. I wanted to test-"

He interrupted with a loud bray of laughter that sounded false even to his own ears. "That's bullshit and we both know it. Anyone who knows what to look for could tell that you're lying." It was amazing actually, how many of the same signs he shared with his younger brother. He realized he shouldn't have said that last when Itachi stiffened, his eyes narrowing and turning suspicious.

The only people that would know to look for those signs, is someone who spent quite a lot of time around an Uchiha. And since there were only two left…

"Naruto-kun," Itachi said softly, and Naruto froze as Gaara and Sasuke both started to swear through their link. He watched morosely as Sasuke flew downwards, the Chidori sparking along his blade. It was met easily by Itachi's kunai, and within another eye blink, they were both gone through the woods.

"Well, looks like it's just me and you brat," Kisame said with a sharp smile, and Naruto snorted.

"Nope, just me."

With his silent signal, Shikamaru caught him in a shadow, but even as Kisame's sword started to eat the chakra, Kakashi was there with his Raikiri, but then something happened that had Naruto struggling against the bonds that held him. A kunai appeared in Kisame's hand, and Kakashi wasn't quite fast enough to dodge it.

"LET ME OUT!" he screamed, as his onetime sensei starting coughing up blood from the wound in his lungs. Then Iruka was there, his eyes filled with rage and power, and with one hit he snapped Kisame's head back, causing him to fly hard into a tree.

**"Kyuubi, I need power. I have to break these bands!"**

**"As you wish kit,"** the Kyuubi muttered, and a moment later, the bands broke as two tails worth of power flowed around Naruto. Falling to the ground, Naruto hissed as his own fangs cut his bottom lip, fighting valiantly against the dark emotions raging in him now. He tried so hard not to rely on the Kyuubi, but against Kisame, he didn't think that he would have a choice.

He was proved right – unfortunately – as Kisame rose, laughing darkly. He almost activated the link so he could make sure Sasuke was fine, but he had to believe in his lover. He understood that Sasuke wanted Itachi dead, but as he flew towards Kisame, engaging him in a swift battle of taijutsu, he sincerely wished that Sasuke would use his brain, and not his emotions for his fight.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke panted harshly as he glared at his brother, somewhat mollified that Itachi was breathing as hard as he was. Forget genjutsus, neither one of them could get the upper hand with the other. After several minutes of furious battling in hand to hand, they had broken apart, assessing each other.

"You have grown, Sasuke," Itachi said with a small smile, and normally Sasuke would have only heard the scathing derision in the cool voice. Against the instincts that were screaming at him to end his brother for what he did, he relaxed his stance, and let his arms fall loosely to his sides. Itachi's eyes grew wary but curious as he also relaxed.

"Have you given up on killing me, Sasuke?" Itachi mocked, and Sasuke's hands tightened around the hilt of his weapon. He took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.

"No Itachi, I have not. Besides, I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of having me kill you, when that is obviously what you want. However, I do want to know the real reason why you killed our Clan that night." He smirked slightly as Itachi's eyes widened a hair. "It seems Naruto was right. There _was_ a deeper motive then you merely wanting to test yourself."

Itachi stared at him a long moment and Sasuke forced himself to not swallow as nervousness overcame him. Those crimson eyes were staring at him, judging him, but they didn't have the same callousness that they once did. If anything, Sasuke would have said that Itachi was weighing his options and words.

Giving a decisive nod, Itachi put away his weapons and sat down, motioning imperiously for Sasuke to join him. Grumbling at the still ingrained, automatic response, Sasuke sheathed his own weapon, and sat cross legged in front of his brother. Eyes narrowed, he glared.

"Well, speak then," he commanded, and growled when Itachi chuckled softly.

"So impatient. I see you have not grown out of that, at least." He held up a hand when Sasuke opened his mouth, and Sasuke closed it with a click, beginning to grind his teeth.

"I am dying, Sasuke. Along with that, I am nearly blind at this point from overuse of the Sharingan. As you well know, each Kekkei Genkai has a drawback. For the Sharingan, the more one uses it, the quicker they go blind." He looked at Sasuke, and the younger man nodded in agreement. His curiosity grew as Itachi took a slightly deeper breath, as though he was getting ready to say something that pained him. Eventually, Itachi raised his eyes.

"What I am about to tell you, I never planned on you finding out. I find myself…wanting to tell you now. I…do not want to die, knowing that my only remaining family hates me. I had forced myself to believe that I would be fine with it, but now…" He shook his head violently, and Sasuke just blinked blankly at him.

This was the person, the brother that he remembered. The slight, self-deprecating smile. That very light crinkle at the corner of his crimson eyes that told Sasuke he found some sort of dark humor in the situation. Suddenly, he found himself smirking slightly at the odd sense of déjà vu, which caused Itachi to raise a questioning eyebrow. He flapped his hand, a gesture he had gotten from Naruto, and Itachi nodded.

"The Clan was planning a coup d'état." He did truly smile at the shocked look on Sasuke's face. "The reason is this: when the Kyuubi attacked, nearly the entire Village thought that it was the Uchiha's doing. Somehow, we had brought the Kyuubi down on everyone, because of our bloodline. It was not until afterwards that the Clan was forced to move onto the land where we grew up, allowing Konoha to keep a better eye on us. That was what started the first stirrings of rebellion. It was carefully planned, this revolution. However, once I found out what they were going to do, I could no longer stand on the side lines and watch it happen. It would have destroyed the Village, and that was something I was not willing to let happen."

He grew silent then as Sasuke processed everything he had heard, and despite wanting to hang onto his revenge, he found the urge to avenge his clan slowly melting away as more and more pieces began to fit together. Suddenly, almost the entire picture became clear, and he winced as his thoughts began to twine about each other. From certain things his father and brother had said, to ways they had acted, everything started to fit perfectly…and he almost wished they hadn't.

"You were in ANBU at the time," he said quietly, and Itachi nodded, watching him intently as he worked his way through the puzzle. "I suppose when you found out, you told the Hokage. If I remember our clan correctly, and the Hokage, he probably tried to negotiate, and the Uchiha's were having none of it." He didn't need Itachi's nod to know that he was right. "You turned on the clan, didn't you? Father probably had you spying on the Hokage, but you were a double agent. So when you were ordered to eliminate the clan, you did."

"Originally, it was not me they wanted," Itachi said quietly. "The Hokage did not want to put that burden on my shoulders, but there was no one else, except Kakashi. He would have been the only one able to resist an entire complex of Sharingan users, but even then, he probably wouldn't have made it out alive." His voice grew quiet, and Sasuke saw something in the crimson eyes that he had never seen before. Pleading.

"I volunteered, Sasuke. It was my clan, my responsibility. I couldn't let someone else do it. Even so, I had to make sure that you were safe. Danzo -"

"Is dead," Sasuke interrupted coldly, and smirked at the flash of satisfaction in Itachi's eyes.

"I had only heard he was in the hospital, not that he was dead."

"Six months ago, we helped Gaara remove the previous Kazekage. While we were there, Naruto took care of Danzo." It was a slight white lie – it had been the Kyuubi truthfully who had taken care of him, but Itachi didn't need to know that part. "A month after that, he died while in the hospital, but Konoha never made that public."

"That is a good thing," Itachi mused softly, his eyes distant. "Even though I can admit that Danzo did have the best interests of Konoha at heart -" he ignored Sasuke's snort of disagreement "- he was far too militaristic for the direction Konoha is going. He wanted you dead as well, Sasuke. I have no doubt that after the massacre was done, he would have found a way to kill me. I bargained with the Hokage to spare and protect you, and after he agreed, I left."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but a bloodcurdling scream of rage and anguish rang throughout the forest, and two pairs of crimson eyes turned towards the direction they had come from.

Sasuke was on his feet and moving, not caring that he put his brother at his back. That had been Naruto, and Sasuke had a good idea as to why he had screamed. If his lover had been forced to use the Kyuubi's chakra, and he probably had been, against Kisame, it would be all too easy for him to lose his human mind to the demons chakra. That was something that the Kyuubi couldn't even protect him against, since it was the very core nature of the Bijuu.

He activated the seal on his wrist, but immediately shut it down again as the emotions slammed into him. There was nothing but blind fury, a sickening sense of loss, and blood lust. He knew he'd never be able to concentrate with those emotions running through him.

The words he had told Jiraiya some six months ago came back into his mind, spurring his feet into an even faster tempo. Nothing was as important to him as Naruto, not even Itachi, and he would do anything to protect the man who held his heart and soul…even if it meant using the Sharingan that the Kyuubi had given him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary: At that moment, the Kyuubi had heard enough talking.**

**Theme: This Night - Black Lab**

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Naruto could pinpoint the exact moment when he let the true nature of the Bijuu wash completely through him. It was when he saw the ashen, blood covered face of Iruka, eyes wide in an almost comical way as he stared at the hand that was through his chest. It had only been moments since then, moments since he had screamed his grief as Iruka's eyes rolled backwards, moments since the Kyuubi had started howling in a savage counterpoint.

In the back of his mind he was glad that his skin no longer burned away, as he wrenched more power from his demon, power that the Kyuubi was very willing to give. The nerves grew extremely sensitive as his healing rate skyrocketed, along with the poisonous chakra. The bones of the Kyuubi weighed heavily on his tortured skin, but he had enough sense to not take any more than seven tails worth of power. Any more than that, and he knew he would be completely lost in the blood thirsty rage that suffused him. On the edge of his conscious, he felt Sasuke, and vaguely Itachi coming swiftly towards them, but his attention shifted when Kisame laughed.

It only took a brief moment to take in what was going on around him. Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Iruka were off to the side, being protected by Gaara and the physical form of Shukaku as Shikamaru tried healing Iruka and Kakashi both. The vision of his previous sensei's passed in front of his eyes. Iruka, with Kisame's hand through his heart, and Kakashi, being sucked completely dry by the sword, falling immediately afterwards.

That damn sword of his was salivating as it stretched towards him, and with a snarl, he decided he had enough of that fucking sword. Dashing forward at a blinding speed, he grabbed it, not caring how it shaved the muscles from his already sensitive hands, the Kyuubi already replacing what he had lost. With a snarl, he shoved as much burning chakra of the Bijuu as he could down the swords throat, giving a scream of triumph when the sword tried to absorb it, but then began to try and writhe away with a whimper. He was having none of that though, especially when Kisame realized what he was trying to do. He put one hand on Kisame's face, and _shoved_ with as much power and force as he could muster – which was quite a lot at the moment.

Kisame lost his grip on the sword as he flew backwards, and it screamed in a pitifully high voice as the Kyuubi's chakra burned it to ash from the inside out.

He staggered a moment as the ashes fell to the ground, forgetting the amount of chakra he had lost when a dark haired figure stepped in front of him. He reeled even more when a second joined it, before his mind snapped back into place. Itachi and Sasuke. Standing in front of him. Keeping him from Kisame. Keeping him from his prey!

**"Get out of my way,"** he snarled, and he saw Sasuke jump slightly at the eerie dual tones of his voice. **"You will not take my prey from me, Uchiha's."**

"Kisame, stop fighting," Itachi said softly, and even without raising his voice, there was a clear command there that Kisame responded to immediately. A low snarl started to build in the back of his throat as the pale, odd eyes glared at him, but the blue body showed only wariness – no longer any intention to fight.

"Boss," Kisame whined, his eyes never leaving the bone encrusted form of Naruto, "he destroyed Samehada."

At that moment, the Kyuubi had heard enough talking. With a scream of savage rage and hate, one that Naruto echoed – this shark had killed Iruka and Kakashi! – the Kyuubi shoved what remained of his power into Naruto, the blonde eagerly accepting it. Closing his eyes, he threw his head back and howled, feeling his body explode into pain. However, this was a burning acid in his veins that he gladly accepted. He and the Kyuubi had never tried this before, but the demon seemed to know what he was doing, so Naruto would go along with it. He just knew that he would do whatever he had to do to avenge the people who had given him his start in this shinobi life.

This life, that allowed him to be with the man that he loved, his best friend, and free of anyone who could use him as a weapon. Those two…had allowed him and Sasuke to become free.

Muscle rippled along his body as his knees cracked forward, changing their shape. He fell onto all fours, as wave after wave of chakra rolled off his body, nearly cooking what vegetable life there was around him. Even in as much pain as he was, he flexed the budding muscles on his new skeletal frame, and the Kyuubi forced skin to grow over the exposed red meat. Then fur flowed over that. The transformation only took a total of a minute, and with an audible pop, the red chakra was sucked back into him.

He shook his massive head, feeling the fur that ruffled as he did and let his eyes zero in on Kisame, his black ringed lips peeling back from razor sharp fangs.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Gaara could only stare at this new being that was Naruto – and not. A miniature form of the Kyuubi stood in front of them, except instead of the cinnamon fur and crimson eyes, Naruto's fur was pale blond, almost white, and his eyes were still blue. Nine tails tipped in blood red weaved to and fro behind him as the great beast stalked steadily closer to where Kisame and Itachi stood, but paused and looked his way. Gaara didn't need the mind link to be able to see the soul-wrenching pain in those stormy blue eyes, as Naruto brushed his nose over the inside of his wrist…well, it was a paw now.

_Does this thing still work?_ He asked, and Gaara blinked, activating his own as he noticed Sasuke doing the same.

_Yes, it does. That is simply amazing, Naruto,_ Gaara said quietly, his mental voice slightly awed. Sasuke nodded as well, and they both smirked as Naruto preened slightly.

_I just went along with what the Kyuubi wanted me to do. Gaara, are they...?_ He couldn't finish his sentence, but Gaara didn't need him too.

_Sasuke, if you could heal Iruka? Kakashi is alive, simply chakra exhaustion, but he'll be fine once he wakes. Iruka…he will not make it if we cannot heal his heart and lungs._

Sasuke nodded and started walking towards them, but paused when he was near Naruto. He let the chakra go that had been building behind his eyes, in preparation to use the gift that the Kyuubi had given him. It was something that he thought the Kyuubi would never _give _anyone. It allowed him to force the Kyuubi's chakra out of Naruto should the situation call for it. He was very glad that he didn't have to use it.

Gaara watched with a small smile as the Uchiha walked up to Naruto, eyes wide with wonder as one slender, pale hand caressed the golden fur of his cheek. Naruto's eyes closed slightly, a deep purr rolling through his chest.

_Naruto,_ he said softly, waiting until the slit-pupiled eye locked onto him, _you do understand that Iruka will live. Itachi can control Kisame. _

No other words were needed as he dropped his hand and walked over to where Iruka and Kakashi were, ignoring the grateful look from an obviously exhausted Shikamaru.

Gaara glanced at Shukaku, and stepped closer to his Bijuu. "Is that something that we can do?"

Shukaku shook – currently _her_ – head slightly, sending the long purple hair all over the place. "Not to my knowledge. Then again, that is the first time I have seen such a powerful Bijuu _willingly_ give all their power to their host." Gaara didn't miss the emphasis, giving his demon a wry look before concentrating back into the nine-tailed fox that was glaring at Itachi and Kisame.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto wasn't surprised that once his form settled down, he was calm once again. He could feel the Kyuubi still, but he guessed that he had all the Bijuu's chakra flowing in him at the moment, since he could feel none of that.

**"Kyuu, where did all that hate and stuff go?"** He asked, never taking his eyes off the softly speaking pair. His flame tipped ears twitched as he listened, wanting to tear through that blue flesh, but now that he was rational again, and he couldn't justify it.

**"It was something in the seal that your father put on you. In the event that you get to the full nine tails of power, it…gives me back that part of my nature, if that makes sense. I am surprised though, that there was not something in it to stop the transformation."**

Naruto cocked his head to the side, snickering gruffly when both Itachi and Kisame stiffened, glancing at him before continuing their conversation.

**"It probably has to do something with you giving me the chakra, instead of me taking it. I doubt that the Yondaime's seal took something like our partnership into account." **Naruto smirked mentally. "**From what I get, it's really hard to get a Bijuu and their host to work together."**

**"Mmmm…you have a point, kit. We are tied together till death, so I really see no reason to hold back."**

Naruto hummed softly and sat back on his haunches, quite liking the feel of the tails weaving to and fro. He just couldn't seem to keep them still, and he found he didn't really want to. It was…nice, to have his mind free of the ever present destructive nature of the Kyuubi. His right ear twitched as he heard Iruka take in a large gasp of air, and his head whipped around, tongue lolling out as he grinned in happiness.

He whined softly when Iruka shot up, taking one look at him before the chocolate brown eyes grew wide in fear. Sasuke held him in place as Naruto whined, his ears going flat against his head as he turned around completely, lowering himself onto his stomach.

"Na…Naruto?" Iruka asked softly, and Naruto hopped to his feet, ears perking forward as he panted, his tails literally wagging like a dogs, but he couldn't think of a better way to show his happiness. Iruka was alive!

A loud crack sounded through the forest, and he only had a second to see their wide eyes before he twisted around, and grabbed the tree that he had broken with a tail in his jaws. Growling softly as he sunk his fangs into the bark, he yelped as the weight of the tree forced him to tip forward, sending him crashing into the ground.

With an annoyed snarl, and ignoring the laughter the surrounded him, he glared at the tree.

"Well its official," Iruka managed though his laughter, "only Naruto could be that ungraceful even while in the Kyuubi's form."

Muttering to himself, he stuck out his tongue at his sensei, feeling warmth fill him as Iruka gave him a cheeky – and completely unrepentant, smile.

"Naruto-kun."

Blinking, Naruto turned to look at Itachi, his hackles rising at Kisame, who childishly stuck his tongue out at him. Snarling in annoyance, he forced himself to calm as Sasuke walked to his side, the pale fingers tangling in the fur of his neck. Itachi bowed slightly, and after a moment, Kisame did too, though reluctantly.

"You currently hold our fate in your hands. I…do not believe that even I could defeat you at the moment. You are simply too powerful with the perfect melding of yours, and the Kyuubi's chakra."

_Is everything between you settled Sasuke?_

His lover snorted. _Hardly. But…we have a start. I no longer want to kill him, if that's what you mean. However, what are we going to do about their heads? We can't return to the Hokage with nothing. _

_Hmmm…_ He thought for a moment, letting his eyes linger on the Sharingan present in two pairs of eyes. _Hey, can either you or Itachi put a genjutsu on someone's head, so they think they're getting Itachi's?_

Sasuke blinked once, and they narrowed in thought as he looked at Itachi. "Can you make a genjutsu that can't be broken? Not even by a Kage?"

Itachi also thought, but shook his head. "No. Not even with the Mangekyo can I create one that could stand up to the inspection of a Kage."

"I can create a seal that will physically transform the head into theirs," Gaara said quietly, walking up to them. Naruto blinked, and turned his head to look at the…wow, how tall was he? They all looked like dolls, or puppets! Shaking the thought physically off, he forced his mind to return to the problem at hand.

_If you modify that one that we use for a henge…maybe use some of their blood in it?_

Gaara blinked at him, the teal eyes with the odd pupils turning thoughtful. "That would work. I hadn't thought about that, actually. I was going to use the one…" _No, I see now why that wouldn't work. _He nodded his head decisively, the three teens ignoring the confused looks they were getting. "Yes, your way is better, Naruto. I will have the seals ready by the time the bodies are returned. Itachi, if you will retrieve the bodies? It would be best if you get two men who resemble you as much as you are able."

In spite of his confusion, Itachi nodded, and was gone with a faint stirring of leaves. Kisame took one look at Naruto's fox form, before grinning and taking off after his partner.

"Naruto," Gaara said quietly, and the blond head turned to look at him. "You need to resume your human form."

Naruto whined. _But…I like being like this!_

"So you plan on being a mercenary as a nine-tailed blond fox?" Sasuke asked, giving him a droll look, and Naruto wilted slightly. "No, that's not obvious at all."

_Fine. I'll go back human when we know that Itachi and Kisame are no longer a threat,_ he thought sharply, giving the other two cold looks. Sasuke and Gaara only shrugged. They were in the middle of the woods, and if anyone were to get close enough to see Naruto how he was now, they would know, and be able to act accordingly.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka snapped, all set to tell his wayward student off for the blatant disregard of his companions, then blinked when Naruto snarled. Iruka wasn't scared exactly, more…wary of this new form. He watched as Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance, before the crimson eyes looked back at him.

"He is no longer Uzumaki, Iruka-sensei. He has taken his father's last name, out of respect."

Iruka tilted his head slightly, frowning in curiosity. "I didn't think anyone knew who his father was."

Naruto snorted, though Iruka could see a deeply rooted pain in the blue eyes. _Hmmm…there's something that Naruto hasn't dealt with yet. I hope he does, or it's just going to keep eating him alive, like it is now._

"He goes by Namikaze Naruto now."

Iruka went white as his jaw dropped open, and he heard a choked gasp from behind him where Kakashi lay. "Na…Namikaze? You're the son of the Yondaime?"

"Is it really that far of a stretch, Iruka?" Gaara said quietly, Shukaku watching all of it silently with a sadistic sort of glee. Some of the color returned to Iruka's face, and he shook his head a few times.

"No, I suppose it's not. Many of the Hosts were related to the Kages, after all," he mused. Sighing, he walked gingerly over to Naruto, and patted the silky golden muzzle. "I can't imagine how hard that was for you, Naruto."

Naruto snorted and closed his eyes under the gentle touch. He knew if he had been human, tears would be falling. He knew it was entirely unhealthy for him not to deal with everything Jiraiya and the Kyuubi had told him, but even after six months he had a hard time thinking of his…father.

_I can't do this now…_ Naruto said softly, and both Sasuke and Gaara placed a hand sympathetically on his cheeks, though they wouldn't have been able to if his head wasn't lowered. The thought made him snort softly, and with a yawn that had Iruka jumping back, he lay down with his paws crossed, curling his tails around his body. Cocking his head, he looked between Gaara and Shukaku.

_How long have you two been separate?_ Gaara shrugged, and then caught himself before he reached up to rub his forehead. Naruto and Sasuke smirked, as Iruka jumped back out of pure instinct.

"Shukaku, you should return," Sasuke said for the both of them, and two more strangled sounds came from the two Konoha Jounin.

Shukaku yawned, showing off her massive breasts – almost big enough to rival the Hokage's – and flapped a hand.

"Yea yea, I'm going. I don't want to deal with his migraine anyway," she muttered, making a few hand seals. The blood clone dissolved as she returned, and Sasuke automatically sent a small fireball to burn the spattering of blood. He stretched, and then turned to look at Shikamaru, not really liking the calculating look in the brown eyes as he walked over.

"A blood clone, nice. I suppose that is how the two Bijuu can have their own bodies. And you did that jutsu without words or hand seals. Is that your only natural element?"

Sasuke smirked, and with no change in expression, his Chidori was sparking along his right hand. Shikamaru nodded, impressed.

"I bet each one of you has at least two natural affinities." He only nodded when Naruto whined sheepishly, and Gaara simply looked away. They knew how rare it was to have more then one natural affinity, and he and Naruto had three, while Sasuke had two. There had only been three people in Konoha's history that had two or more naturals. Itachi, who wasn't a big surprise; Kakashi, though no one knew about that, and the Yondaime. It didn't necessarily make them better, since most Jounin had at least one technique for every element, it just meant that their naturals were more powerful than average, and with training, one didn't need to even use hand seals, or speak the words out loud.

_You know he's fishing for information, Sasuke,_ Gaara said, sitting down and leaning against the warm bulk of Naruto's shoulder. Sure enough, even as he was saying that, Shikamaru was asking what Naruto's were.

Naruto yawned, and with a mischievous glint in his eye, he concentrated on a single tail, and when the flame tip was coated in his wind chakra, he locked eyes with Shikamaru. Snapping it out, the tree that had already fallen was suddenly sliced in three different places.

Shikamaru gulped silently, and nodded. "Alright, so wind. Gaara-"

"We don't have time for this. Itachi and Kisame are coming back," the red head said calmly, and Shikamaru fought the urge to roll his eyes. Damnit, the Hokage wanted information on them…though he knew even if he had found out everything, only a fraction of it would have gone into the official documents anyways. Grumbling, he made his way back to Iruka and a now awake Kakashi, muttering "Troublesome" under his breath the entire way.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"I am truly impressed, Gaara-kun," Itachi said quietly, as the five men made their way towards the island.

"It is simply Gaara, and if you want to give credit, give it to Naruto. He is the one who has the ideas. I simply write the seals," he replied with a nod.

Kisame grunted. "I'm curious about that blondie. Your godfather and father are both supposed to be awesome with seals, and yet you aren't?"

Naruto only shrugged, his eyes on the flashing scenery around them. They were getting close to the ocean, and now would not be a time to drop his guard. "I understand the simpler ones, but once you get multiple seals combined into one, I can't understand it. What sucks, is that with the more complex seals, you _have_ to know how it works, every single symbol, in order for the entire seal to work." He shrugged again, narrowed blue eyes on a flash of motion he had seen. Concentrating only long enough to find it was a deer, he returned to speaking.

"I have the imagination for it, and between the Kyuubi and Gaara, they can usually find a way to make those ideas real." He smirked slightly, glancing at Gaara. "Remember when I told you about the seals for the mind link?"

"I think both Sasuke and I screamed at you for at least an hour. There is a reason those have never worked before, Naruto," he muttered, his tone showing that he was still peeved about the whole thing, though it obviously had worked.

"Yea, but it worked damnit! Besides, the only reason it never worked before was because no one had as much chakra as I do!" He pouted slightly, sticking his tongue out childishly at Kisame when the shark man laughed. "Anyways, I get the ideas, Gaara and Red figure out how to make them work." He flapped his hand slightly. "Like the seal to shape shift those bodies into you two. The one Gaara was going to use wouldn't have worked, because…" Everyone stared at him uncomprehendingly – including Sasuke and Itachi, both geniuses – as he explained different points of the array, and the other one that was needed to make it undetectable.

"Naruto," Gaara said quietly, but it stopped Naruto in mid rant of the unfairness of his nemesis – the seal that sucked in chakra. Blue eyes looked at him curiously, but Gaara didn't need to do anything more than direct his attention to the slightly glazed eyes of their companions. Gaara understood everything, but he was also the one who drew all of their seals. Blushing and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Naruto grinned at everyone and apologized.

"No apology needed, Naruto-k…Naruto," Itachi said, catching himself on the honorific. The three boys were exactly like Kisame. They all hated having something attached to the end of their name.

They traveled in silence for awhile, before stopping in a large tree. The smell of salt and brine were strong in their noses, and Itachi had to smile slightly at seeing the nostalgia and happiness in the onyx eyes of his brother.

"Alright, from here on out we go invisible," Naruto said, his voice quiet and commanding. Itachi was surprised at the tone, and even more so when Sasuke and Gaara nodded immediately. So the blond was the true leader of this little group. Interesting. He looked at Sasuke when his brother called his name.

"Copy this jutsu Itachi. It comes in handy."

Nodding, he did as he was told, and blinked as the three boys became invisible. The only reason he knew they were there was the very faint outline of their bodies against the foliage.

"That is a very handy jutsu kiddies," Kisame said with a low whistle. "Where did you learn it?"

"Ero-Sennin. This is what he used to spy on the bathhouses for his research," Naruto replied with a laugh. Itachi nodded, and in no time he had taught Kisame, though the shark man was a little more visible then the others.

"So why are we using this?" Itachi asked.

"We have to cross the waters to get to our island, and we have to go through Kiri territory."

Kisame snorted and released his jutsu. "Wish ya had told me that," he muttered. He then did hand seals and said words so quickly, that the only ones who could catch it were Itachi and Sasuke. As soon as the chakra died down, there was a blue blur towards the ocean, and everyone walked over to the edge of the cliff when they heard a splash. Nothing was said for a long minute as Kisame surfaced, flipping them off with his sharp grin, before diving back underwater.

"…Did he have gills?" Naruto asked, blinking, feeling slightly stupid when Itachi just snorted and jumped after his partner.

It was silent as they made their way across the water. It was nearly dawn by the time they got the first glimpse of the island that had become their sanctuary. However, they were all stopped dead, even Kisame under the water, by an invisible barrier. Gaara, Naruto, and Sasuke found that they could pass through it without any problems, but Itachi and Kisame were having problems. Until one of the three touched them, then they all easily passed it, gazing back at the invisible barrier with surprise. They turned towards the island once again, grins lighting their faces that froze suddenly.

"Naruto-sama! Gaara-sama! Sasuke-sama! Welcome home!"

Sayomi's voice rang over the waters, with Naruto's sealed clone behind her, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. What truly made them freeze, was the 30 or so children that ranged behind Sayomi, and the 20 odd adults. The numbers were what froze everyone, but Naruto.

Naruto had his eyes locked on a white haired man, that he would recognize anywhere. The big cheesy grin, the red tattoos…

He was to him in less then a second, his now clawed hand wrapped around the strong throat as he glared with crimson eyes into dark grey.

His voice was a dark, dangerous purr when he asked, "What are you doing here Jiraiya?"

Needless to say, Jiraiya, the great Toad Sennin…paled.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary:_ Lovely. Now it seems I have a soft spot not only for hyperactive blonds, arrogant Uchiha's, but now children,_ Gaara thought to himself with ironic amusement.**

**Theme: Changing - Saosin  
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Gaara couldn't remember _ever_ seeing so many emotions in his blond companion at the same time. He stood off to the side with Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame, while everyone else who had invaded their island watched with wide eyes.

"I asked you a question damnit!" Naruto spat, and Gaara shook his head slightly as Jiraiya sputtered, paling even further at the murderous, confused rage that was slowly allowing the fox's cloak to flicker around Naruto's body.

"I…I wanted to make sure…you were fine," Jiraiya said weakly, and Gaara moved as red turned into hard ruby. Naruto released Jiraiya, and Gaara knew he only had a few moments before Jiraiya was burned to a crisp. He felt Shukaku wince as he protected the Sannin with his sand against the poisonous red chakra, flashing over and grabbing Naruto's wrists as his fellow Host's body exploded with bloody fire. It wasn't the same as the fox's cloak. Instead, it was the Kyuubi's equivalent to his Sand Armor. Naruto could only use it while channeling the Kyuubi's chakra. However, he could use it _any_ way he wanted. It was fire that was equal to Itachi's Amaterasu in its destructive power, and completely and utterly responsive to Naruto's will.

That was the only reason Gaara's hands weren't being burned off. As well as the reason why Sasuke wasn't being engulfed in flames, from where his arms were wrapped around the blonds' shoulders, the Uchiha whispering urgent, soothing words into his ear. Naruto couldn't protect them entirely from the heat though, so their skin was beginning to burn regardless.

"Naruto," Gaara said quietly, and the blond glared at him. "Do you really want to kill Jiraiya?"

"YES!"

Gaara sighed at the passionate response, and tightened his grip until he could feel Naruto's bones grinding together. The pain seemed to snap him out of it – which was what Gaara had been hoping for – and the anger bled away with the red. Gaara wasn't sure it was an improvement when overwhelming confusion and pain replaced the anger. He relaxed his grip, and as soon as he did, Naruto ripped away from both of them, and was gone with a stirring of the wind. Both he and Sasuke sighed quietly, and Gaara let his shield around the now deathly pale Sannin dissolve. They knew where Naruto was going; the small garden on the cliff that overlooked the entire island on the far eastern end. That was their place and theirs alone.

He glanced down when he felt a tug on his pants, and flexed his naked toes in the hot sand. One of the things he absolutely hated about wandering the world as Kariudo: he actually had to wear clothes. He was much more comfortable in what he had on, namely only the gourd, weapons pouches, and baggy cargo shorts.

Sayomi was looking up at him with wide eyes, and he was startled – though he didn't show it – at the white roots of her hair, and pitch black eyes. _She must have gained control of her Kekkei Genkai for the physical alterations to be permanent. We're going to have to find tutors for her soon. Or train her ourselves…_

"Is Naruto-sama going to be ok?" she asked quietly, her lower lip trembling. "If I knew that Naruto-sama didn't want Ero-Sennin here, then I never would have let him stay." Now tears filled her eyes as she searched his eyes, desperately trying to make sure she hadn't done anything wrong. Gaara sighed and crouched down in front of her, so they were eye level. All the while he was going over everything he had learned about children – which wasn't a lot.

Putting on a small smile, he ruffled her half blonde, half white hair, noticing that it had been cut very short. If she kept the pixie cut, then it wouldn't be another month before there wasn't any blond left on her head. "Don't worry Sayomi. Naruto…has things he needs to deal with, and part of that is Jiraiya." At her confused look, he nodded his head at the sorrowful looking Sannin, who blinked, and then began walking in towards the center of the island – and their special garden. "Him. That's Naruto's godfather, and they parted on pretty bad terms."

Understanding lit her pitch black eyes, and she gave him a blinding smile that reminded him painfully of how Naruto used to be. There was so much innocent trust there… While he was happy that Naruto had grown out of his blind trust in people, it still saddened him that Naruto's child-like innocence was lost.

When he stood, she held her arms up to him in a perfectly understandable gesture of her wanting to be picked up. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why he did, but he found her utterly trusting embrace around his neck…endearing. _Lovely. Now it seems I have a soft spot not only for hyperactive blonds, arrogant Uchiha's, but now children,_ he thought to himself with ironic amusement.

"Now Sayomi, could you tell me why all these people are here?" he asked once he had a firm grip on her slender body.

She brightened even more, and looked proudly over the nervous group of people. "Oh! They're just like me!"

He almost staggered at that, and looked over at Sasuke, making sure the Sharingan user heard. At the wide, disbelieving onyx eyes, it seemed he did. Itachi and Kisame were also close enough to hear, and even their eyes widened in shock.

Activating the mind seal, he thought, _Sasuke, use the Sharingan._

Sasuke nodded, and the onyx spun into crimson, and Gaara almost groaned when his eyes widened even further, the already pale skin lightening a few shades.

_Holy shit…just…holy shit, Gaara. There is only a few of them that I can see that don't have any chakra. All the rest…ALL of them must have some sort of Kekkei Genkai, like Sayomi, or they're already trained shinobi. That's the only explanation I can think of._

The exchange only took a few seconds, and by the time it was done, the girl was chatting away again. "I remembered how it was for me, and Naruto-sama clone helped me, and Ero-Sennin, and we started looking for kids that were orphans like me, who had the special stuff like I do, and we started bringing them here! No one yells at us here when we mess up, and no one tells us that we're monsters…" Her voice trailed off, remembered pain darkening her expression before she brightened again, smiling at them. "Isn't that awesome? Now there's a place where people like us can be without getting hurt all the time! And Ero-Sennin is such an awesome teacher! He even showed some of us the other day how to…"

Even as Gaara and Sasuke walked into the crowd, Sayomi chattering away and introducing them to the children and adults on the island, neither could think up a good enough excuse to kick these people off their island. The sympathy they felt probably had something to do with it, as well as seeing a particular little boy that still had remnants of past beatings clear on his body. Yet, he had a huge, blinding grin on his face as he introduced himself, then ran off with a group of kids, laughing the entire time.

It was clear to them that most of the kids, and adults, had been prosecuted for their powers, or simply had nowhere else to go and wanted a place to belong.

They spent the rest of the day with the adults, looking over agreements and contracts. They wanted to turn the island into an actual village, and Sasuke and Gaara were willing, with stipulations. If their island was going to become a true village, then it was going to be completely neutral. Anyone who moved here to set up shop would be required to sign a contract that enforced fair trade to all – even if the customer was a missing-nin or a Kage – and any breach in that would be grounds for expulsion from the village. The usual rules would apply, like the ones against rape and theft.

Also, with both Itachi's and Kisame's grudging agreement, the two missing-nin were going to help train some of the kids. It wasn't surprising that the adults had a list of all the children, where they came from, and what their abilities were. No one was more surprised than Itachi and Sasuke when they found out there was a young girl, 8 years old, with the Sharingan.

"What?" Sasuke snapped, standing fast enough that his chair was knocked backwards. Itachi merely stared, his mouth hanging open slightly since he was too surprised to hide his emotions as usual.

The eldest, Nicole, nodded her graying head. "Leola told us that her mother had left her Village and Clan when they tried recruiting her for something that she wanted no part of. Her mother left with her when she was barely a year old, and they made their living quietly as a seamstress in a small village. Unfortunately, their village was raided by bandits, and Leola's mother was killed when she was six. According to her, that was also when her Sharingan first activated. By that time, she had figured out what Clan she had come from, and heard of the Uchiha Massacre," Sasuke noticed that Itachi twitched slightly at that, "so she knew she couldn't go back to Konoha. She moved from village to village, hiding her abilities until about a month ago, when she came across Jiraiya-sama. He had heard of this island, so he brought her, and neither of them has left since."

Sasuke turned to Itachi, his eyes crimson and hard. "Would you have killed them if you knew?"

The elder gasped, but Itachi looked calmly into his brother's eyes, his own crimson ones sincere. "No, I wouldn't have. Her mother willingly left the Clan when they tried recruiting her, and according to them, she never used her Sharingan, or even told her daughter where they came from. I would have had no reason to."

Sasuke stared at him a moment longer, his internal battle as to whether he should believe Itachi or not clear in his eyes. Finally he sighed and nodded, the red bleeding away to be replaced by onyx. Righting his chair and sitting back down next to Gaara, he was pleasantly surprised to feel a small, firm hand on his knee, offering comfort. Sneaking a glance over at Gaara, he gave the Host a small thankful smile, and as the conversation started flowing again, and when Gaara didn't remove his hand…he found that he didn't mind the small warmth on his knee too much.

There was one rule that they would not budge with. _Everyone_ who stepped foot into the village would be treated equal. Didn't matter what race, loyalty, or a personal prejudice. This village would be neutral ground for everyone. If Konoha found out about Itachi being there, they would not be allowed to take the Uchiha and same with Kiri for Kisame. It would be a place where anyone could have a fresh start, no matter what their past.

Another was that if you petitioned to live there on a permanent basis, you better be damn sure that your loyalties were with your new village. If it wasn't, and someone found you leaking information about their village, or pulling a Danzo and brain washing any of the children…basically anything that would bring harm to the village, then you would be dealt with swiftly, and accordingly. Another iron clad rule was that they were to be updated every single week, via their sealed clones. Each one of them would leave one behind, to make sure that their rules were being upheld.

Even as a haggard, but much calmer Naruto walked into the meeting hall in the middle of the already decently sized village, the three never knew that they were creating a pure mercenary _Hidden_ Village.

With a distinct emphasis on _Hidden_.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"What seals did you use?"

Naruto spoke the words emotionlessly, looking over the island from the top of a cliff that was on the opposite side of the pseudo-village. His hands were dirty from pulling weeds out of the garden, as well as his bare chest and feet. Just like Gaara, he was much happier running around without shoes or shirt.

He cuddled his knees closer to his chest as Jiraiya gingerly sat down next to him, letting his legs swing over the side of the cliff.

"Do you mean the barrier around the island?" he asked, and Naruto nodded slightly. _Alright, we'll start on neutral ground then._ "I tweaked the invisibility jutsu into a seal."

Now Naruto looked at him, a spark of interest in his feline sapphire eyes. "How did you manage that one? I mean, how did you make it into an actual barrier?"

Jiraiya only gave him a blinding, smug smile, feeling a spark of hope in his chest when Naruto snorted and rolled his eyes, looking back over the island.

It was barely mid-morning, the sun behind them only a few hours over the horizon. Jiraiya let himself examine his godson, as he tried to pull his thoughts together.

There was a new seriousness in the whiskered face, a few lines starting to appear between the blond brows from too much time frowning. At the same time, the laugh lines had gotten deeper, and there seemed to be a deeper happiness to Naruto that Jiraiya had never seen before. It looked like despite everything with him and his father, Naruto had made peace with himself, and couldn't be happier with the results.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," he blurted out, and then grumbled to himself as he rubbed his forehead, cursing under his breath at his stupid remark. He glanced at Naruto out of the corner of his eye, and saw that there was a small, amused, sad smile on the blonds face.

"It's alright Ero-Sennin," Naruto said quietly. "I know I haven't really dealt with what you guys told me, but then again, I haven't really put much thought into it until these past few days. You saw Itachi right?" He waited until Jiraiya nodded before continuing. "Well, I figure if Sasuke can forgive his brother for what he did, then I can at least try to forgive my…father. And you."

Jiraiya blinked a few times, stunned. He hadn't thought it would be this easy. Well, he knew it wasn't going to be that easy, but he could admit to himself that it was a better start then he had hoped for.

"Naruto, I know that keeping something like that from you was wrong, but it wasn't because we didn't trust you, or-" He stopped when Naruto held up a hand, closing his mouth.

"Ero-Sennin, I know all that." His gave his godfather a droll look. "I'm not as stupid as people think. I know all the reasons why you guys did what you did it's…it's just hard, ya know?" His sapphire eyes turned cloudy as he frowned, resting his chin on his upraised knees. "Knowing that it was my father who sealed Red in me, knowing that you kept his identity from me…" He sighed once again, and Jiraiya only nodded, not really knowing what to say.

Naruto turned his head to look at him, an easy, relaxed smile on his face as his cheek rested against his knees. "But you know what? I've never really been one to hold grudges, and I've held this one for way to long now." His smile turned slightly sheepish, as his blue eyes lightened and sparkled. "To be honest…I'm kinda proud of my father. I mean, how many people would have the power or force of will to seal the Kyuubi?" He laughed. "Plus the balls to seal the demon inside his own son? I mean, c'mon." He laughed again, and Jiraiya relaxed back onto his hands as Naruto uncurled from his position, letting his tan legs swing freely over the edge.

"So, Ero-Sennin, how the hell did you find out about this place? We haven't heard anything, and my network is just as good as yours!"

Jiraiya smirked slightly. So, Naruto did have his own network. He had ran across a few people that he could have sworn were clones, but he could never say for certain without doing tests, and consequently letting the original in on the fact that he knew they were clones. It made sense now, considering how proficient Naruto was with his Kage Bunshin.

"There have been rumors amongst the orphans and prostitutes of a place you could go, and start fresh." He shrugged as he lay flat on his back, stretching with a groan. "Oooo that felt good. Anyway, it wasn't until I got to Kiri that I knew it wasn't a rumor. By the way, Kirigakure knows what's going on with this island, which is why I made the barrier." He cracked an eye open to see how Naruto took the news, and what he found startled him. Naruto was sitting utterly still, his fingertips pressed together in his lap in the classic 'thinking' pose. As much as he wanted to ask what was going on, he waited until Naruto opened bloodshot eyes, absently wiping away a trickle of blood from his nose.

"What was that gaki? Meditation?"

Naruto hummed, propping his chin up on one hand, his elbow on his knee. "Not exactly. I have special sealed clones that I can communicate with mentally, and I just contacted the one that I have in Kiri." Sighing, Naruto stood and ignored the flabbergasted Jiraiya, giving the older man a smirk. "You never answered my question Ero-Sennin. How did you get here?"

Jiraiya suddenly grew serious. "After I had confirmed that it wasn't a rumor, I left again. I found a girl, Leola, and she had the fully mature Sharingan." He only nodded at the openly shocked look on Naruto's face. "That was pretty much the expression I had. She was wandering the streets by herself, afraid to use her ability, but having no other choice if she wanted to stay alive. I was training her for a week, and the way she uses genjutsu is still a mystery to me. So, I brought her here with the hopes that someone could train her, realized what these people were trying to do, and decided to get involved."

"Mmmm…I see that. I'm assuming that she is an Uchiha, and doesn't just have the eyes?" Jiraiya nodded, and Naruto smirked. "Sasuke and Itachi are going to have fun. From what I remember, she's only the third female to have the mature Sharingan, and all of them have been powerful. Well," he exclaimed, giving his mentor a foxy grin, "since you're here, you wanna help me with my new Rasengan?"

A wide smile split his face as Jiraiya jumped to his feet. "A new Rasengan, hmm? Did you do better than your father and actually complete it?"

Naruto just smirked evilly. "You'll see."

**-x-x-x-x-**

Jiraiya's jaw was on the ground. _Holy shit!_

Intellectually, he knew what the jutsu should have done. Combining the Rasengan with wind chakra technically would make thousands of small blades. However, Naruto just had to be an overachiever. The gaki had made a jutsu that not only destroyed his arm every time he used it, but everything it touched within an easy hundred foot radius. Oh, and the fact that the blades numbered in the _millions_ and were small enough to slice through the cells of the body. All in all, it was extremely potent, destructive…and terrifying.

"Naruto," he finally managed to croak out, and winced as the blond perked up happily, "you do know you can't use that a lot."

Naruto looked crestfallen, before he perked back up again. "If I can figure out a way to throw it, then I can get it away from me before I do any damage to myself."

"You could always try using my chakra," the Kyuubi said from next to Jiraiya. Naruto wanted to use his own chakra for the new jutsu, so he had essentially forced the Kyuubi into his own body. Technically, he was a she currently, a fact that had made Jiraiya pass out from blood loss for almost an hour.

Naruto shook his head fiercely, wiping the sweat off his forehead. It was starting to get dark, but it was still hot. "No, I want to perfect it with my own chakra before trying to add yours."

That made a lot of sense to them both, so they only nodded. The Kyuubi stood and stretched, and it took a mass effort of will on Jiraiya's part not to gawk and pass out again at her substantial assets. Naruto didn't have any clothes for her, and since the demons were always naked when they entered the blood clone…well, it had been highly entertaining for Naruto to watch Jiraiya attempt to not stare at the naked, female Kyuubi. Naruto only rolled his eyes, seeing the sadistic glint in his demons crimson eyes. She was doing it on purpose, and he knew it.

"Alright kiddies, my chakra is starting to get low, and I know Naruto's is as well." Without waiting for a reply from either of them, she made a single hand sign, and disappeared as the blood splashed down. Absently, Naruto used a fire jutsu to destroy the evidence.

Sighing half in pleasure and half in pain, Naruto stretched again as his chakra channels filled with the Kyuubi's chakra, stimulating his own to rebuild faster. They had been apart for almost the entire 8 hours they were allowed, and now that the demon was back, Naruto could definitely tell.

"Well, should we be getting back? I'm sure Sasuke and Gaara are worried about you by this point."

Naruto grinned and nodded his head enthusiastically, very glad that he had decided to let go of his grudge. As they made their way down from the cliff silently, he marveled at how much lighter he felt now, versus the past few months. He promised himself, as they quickly made their way into the village – following Sasuke's and Gaara's chakra signatures – that he would do his best to completely come to terms with what his father had done.

It didn't take long for him and Jiraiya to be filled on the new rules for the establishment of a village, or for him to tell them what Jiraiya had informed him of. When Kiri was mentioned, Itachi's eyes widened a fraction, and he stood up very quickly.

"You four, come with me," he said, pointing at Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Jiraiya. Kisame followed automatically when Itachi swiftly left the building, the four confused males following after. They didn't stop until they got to the beach where they had started, and Itachi flashed through the hand seals for a privacy jutsu.

"Alright Itachi, I'll bite," Jiraiya said, and edge to his voice. He wouldn't attack the missing-nin, but he was still wary around him. Unlike the others, Jiraiya was the only one who didn't know the truth behind why Itachi had destroyed his Clan. "What the hell is so important?"

Itachi inhaled slightly deeper than normal, an Uchiha's version of a deep breath, and looked them all in the eye one right after another, stopping on Jiraiya.

"Uchiha Madara is alive, and he is the true leader of Akatsuki."


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary: Gaara shivered slightly as the mental image of him melting Sasuke's icy exterior flashed by.**

**Theme: I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin**

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Naruto's thoughts were whirling as he stared at the fire.

_Stupid Madara. Wanting to take control of the world so he can enforce his own brand of peace. _Not once did he think that Itachi was lying. Sasuke believed him, and the man was still concerned about getting on Sasuke's good side.

"**Kit, I can't help you with Madara. You'll have to destroy him on your own."**

His eyes widened. "**What do you **_**mean**_** you can't help me? Why the fuck **_**not**_**?"**

"**Whelp! Do you **_**think**_** I like saying this? I literally cannot help you! He can suppress our chakra and control us with his Sharingan! I **_**can't!**__** Fucking!**__** Help**_**!"**

Naruto's jaw dropped open. By the startled look on Gaara's face, Shukaku was having the same discussion.

"Oh fuck me," he groaned as he leaned forward, fear and panic making his blood freeze.

"Naruto? Naruto, what's wrong?" He heard Sasuke's voice, but he couldn't respond. They would have to kill fucking _Uchiha_ _Madara_ without the Bijuu!

"Itachi, you're sure, you're fucking sure that it's this Madara that wants the Bijuu?" he croaked, looking up through his hair. Itachi's eyes narrowed at him, but he nodded.

"Yes."

"What do you know of his Sharingan?" Gaara asked quietly, and Itachi looked at him, eyes narrowed further.

"He has a technique that only Madara has claimed, awakened when his brothers Mangekyo was implanted into himself. I have heard him speak of it only once, and he called it the Eternal Sharingan."

"It's a fucking technique that can suppress a Bijuu's chakra! And it can control them!" Naruto growled, jumping to his feet in agitation. Jiraiya grabbed his wrist and tugged him back down, glad that they had decided to have this conversation on the cliff by the garden.

Only Sasuke heard Itachi's quiet, "So he _can _control them…" He wondered if he should tell them that he also had the Eternal Sharingan, courtesy of the Kyuubi, but decided against it. He didn't know if it would make a difference anyway, though he had an idea in his head. He was almost positive it wouldn't work, and he had always felt like Gaara and Naruto relied too heavily on the Bijuu. It would do them good to train only themselves and their chakra, so he remained silent.

"Gaki, calm down. It's not like you to take this so hard. If he can suppress a Bijuu's chakra, then you'll just have to get powerful enough that you don't need it. Besides, you won't be fighting him alone."

Naruto stared at him, slowly nodding as the words sunk in. Jiraiya was right, this wasn't like him. It wouldn't only be him. There was Sasuke, Gaara, Jiraiya, Itachi, and Kisame now. Also, who knew how many other people from the various countries would be willing to help? Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he let it out very slowly…and began to plot.

_First, we need to start gathering more information. I'll send Gaara down to the people and see if any of them have any info we can use. _He felt the mind seals from the other two activate, so he brushed a finger over his own, letting them in on his thoughts.

_Intel is the first thing that we need, by whatever means necessary. I have a squirrel tracking this Tobi, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to follow him. I'll get in contact via my sealed clone in Konoha with Shikamaru, see if he has any ideas. As long as me, Gaara, and the other guy with the Hachibi remain unsealed, then Madara can't complete his plan. And now that Kisame and Itachi are on our side, he's going to have a harder time. _

Gaara smooth baritone slid over the link. _I can get in contact with my sister and brother, and let them know of the situation. That way we have both Konoha and Suna on the lookout for him. We are going to need some sort of proof though, to convince them._

Now it was Sasuke's turn. _I can obtain the memories directly from Itachi's brain, and then show them. That means that we'll have to go to them in person however._

Naruto nodded sharply. "Alright Sasuke, I want you to do that. And see if you can figure out what's wrong with your brother at the same time. Try to cure it if you can. Gaara, I need you to find Sayomi and talk to the villagers, see if any of them have any intel we can use. Ero-Sennin, I need you to tell me anything you know about Tobi, or Madara. Also," he grinned sharply, his eyes seeming to flicker red in the dying firelight, "Itachi, Kisame, and Jiraiya, I need the three of you to start training us. We have awhile as long as we remain unsealed, so we need this time to train, and find some powerful allies."

Jiraiya sputtered as he glared at Naruto. "I can't stay here for months at a time gaki! Though…if you showed me that sealed clone technique, it wouldn't be as hard."

"Alright. You have the chakra for it," he said with a shrug, drawing the design into the dirt between them. "All you do is make a Kage Bunshin, and write this in blood somewhere on its body. Then you channel your chakra into it, and poof, a sealed clone. Don't make too many though, cause if you do, it can overload your body and kill you."

He returned Jiraiya's skeptical gaze with a calm one, showing his mentor that no, he's not kidding. Jiraiya paled slightly, and nodded. "Alright, I believe you. How many do you have?"

"Um…ten. Plus about 50 regular Kage Bunshin scattered here and there." Then he frowned, his sapphire eyes thoughtful as Jiraiya gaped at him. "Huh, you know, that seal won't work for you, since you don't have the Bijuu's chakra to keep them loyal to you. Hmmm…" He stared down at the seal between them, and with a grin – and thanks to the Kyuubi – he added two more symbols. "There, use that one. Itachi, Kisame, you two have the chakra for it too, so come memorize this. It comes in handy. Though you guys shouldn't do more then two or three. It'll start giving you brain damage if you try anymore then that."

"Then how are you capable of using ten?" Itachi asked, peering down at the seal.

Naruto shrugged, a finger absently tracing the spiral of the Kyuubi's seal. "The same way Gaara can. We have the Bijuu to heal us before the damage gets to severe, but we both know the drawbacks to using that many sealed clones."

"But…why? I mean, why is it so hard on the body?" Kisame asked, looking between all of them. It was Jiraiya who answered.

"I assume it has to do with the direct mind connection. Also, it looks as though this seal will allow the clone to take chakra as necessary whenever it runs low. Which also means that each sealed one is able to make more, though probably only regular Kage Bunshin."

"Right," Naruto said with a nod, once again impressed with his mentor. "Since they have no blood, and that's what this seal requires, they can't make anymore sealed clones, but they can make regular ones. Also, it takes mass amounts of chakra and stamina to keep them functional." He looked at Itachi. "Which is why I need Sasuke to try and cure whatever it is that you have, and see if he can fix your eyes. You won't be able to use them unless you're in perfect health. Ero-Sennin," he purred darkly, and Jiraiya glanced up in question, only to be met with glittering sapphire eyes, "are you ready to start training?"

"I-" he started, but got nowhere as Naruto launched his body at him, the two beginning to battle fiercely…and with laughter.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke signed at their antics and stood, taking the few steps needed to sink to his knees next to his brother. "Itachi, lay down please."

Itachi did, watching him warily as he opened the cloak, his hands already beginning to glow a light green. Hovering them over his brother body, his eyes swirled into the Sharingan, slitted as he absorbed the information the diagnostic jutsu was giving him. He stopped on Itachi's lungs, frowning.

"Do you know what it is that you have?" he asked quietly, as Kisame and Gaara watched curiously form the sidelines.

"I was told it was an incurable blood disease," he admitted calmly, but Sasuke could tell how much that thought scared him because his heartbeat doubled. Growling softly, he let the jutsu fade, and glared at his brother.

"Who the hell told you that? All you have is a case of tuberculosis, and that is very curable. It will be harder now, but not impossible."

"But…" Itachi muttered, his eyes narrowing in confusion, before sharpening with rage. "Orochimaru and Kabuto."

Sasuke growled, a fine blush of anger highlighting his cheeks. It was another thing to add to the list of why those two should die in the more horrible, bloody, painful way. His hands began to glow green once again, but he hesitated before putting them over Itachi's chest, giving his brother an almost apologetic look.

"This is going to hurt, because I literally need to cut out the bad tissue, and grow it back again. Whenever you feel the need to cough, do it, and cough hard. It will get the pieces of diseased lung tissue out of your chest quicker. Do you want a seal to stop the pain?"

"No."

Sasuke hesitated, eyes narrowing. With a quick glance to Gaara, the red head utilized his sand, and sunk Itachi's hands and feet into the ground, solidifying it quickly. Itachi glared at them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, and Sasuke shrugged, a small smirk on his face.

"If you don't want the seal, I can't have you flopping around when I start doing this. So it's either this, or the seal. Pick one."

Itachi tested the ground around his hands, and realized that Gaara chakra infused the rock, making sure that he wouldn't be able to get out. Grunting in defeat, he relaxed. "The seal."

"That's what I figured," Sasuke mumbled smugly, and caught the small brush that Gaara threw him, sticking it between his teeth. Gaara released Itachi, and Sasuke waved at his brother's upper body. "Clothes, off."

Itachi just nodded, and Sasuke went to work. Creating a small cut on Itachi's wrist, he used the blood to write a small, triangular seal on the back of his neck, right above the spine. As soon as he activated it, Itachi stiffened, then relaxed with a harsh expel of air.

Sasuke smirked slightly as Itachi lay down again. "You never know how much pain you're in, until it's gone."

"Very true little brother," Itachi murmured, his eyes heavy lidded. "How did you learn of this seal?"

Sasuke hesitated a moment, his hands over Itachi's chest, before setting them down and shaking his head. He activated the chakra scalpel on each of his fingers, delicately beginning to shave away the damaged tissue and alveoli.

"It is a fail-safe. The three of us have it tattooed permanently on the back of our necks. We all get injured so much, that it helps when we have to be healed." He paused as he healed the spot he just cut out, and Itachi coughed, hard, and a piece of the diseased lung tissue was spit out.

"Continue brother. I'm interested."

"Hn. It also helps while in battle. We can activate it, and every pain receptor from the neck down is numbed. It's possible to continue to fight until your body literally can't move. There are drawbacks to it, of course."

It was silent as he continued to work, only interrupted by the occasional cough and sound from Jiraiya and Naruto's spar.

"Have you ever used it in battle like that?" Itachi asked eventually.

"Mm…once. Against Deidara. I couldn't afford for him to see that he had any effect on me, or I would have lost."

A particular large piece finally came loose in Itachi's lungs, and he was forced to glue his hands to his brothers chest as his body convulsed, ridding itself of the piece. There was a steadily growing pile next to Itachi's head of tissue, but Sasuke was nearly done. There were only three other parts that he needed to get out, and he would have a healthy set of lungs. Well, as soon as he burned out what remained of the infection in his chest and blood.

Itachi finally stopped coughing, and sluggishly wiped the blood away from his mouth. It didn't help, only smearing it and the blood was stark against his pale skin.

Another 20 minutes, and it was done. Sasuke sat back and wiped his face, taking a few deep breaths to settle the chakra back into his system once again. Itachi sat up, and Sasuke absently reached out and deactivated the seal. He could tell when the pain came back because Itachi winced, but then his face smoothed out, eyes thankful as he looked to Sasuke.

Grinning a bit sadistically, Sasuke held his hands out once again, noticing that Gaara was gone, and Kisame watching with morbid interest. "Alright, time to fix your eyes."

**-x-x-x-x-**

Gaara could only watch so much of the impromptu surgery, before he began to get bored. Deciding that he should go talk to the people, he flew off the edge of the cliff, landing with only a small crater, alongside others from their previous landings. He leapt from palm tree to palm tree, happily slowing down so he could feel the cool night air better.

He loved this island. With the white beaches, surrounded by clear blue ocean, it was a dream come true for anyone wanting to get away from their life.

He came upon the settlement far too quickly for his own liking, and meandered through until he found a small building on the outskirts where Sayomi's chakra was originating from. He frowned. Why was she living by herself? Once again, the answer came as he neared her door.

He smelled the ozone before he saw the lightning flickering through the windows. There was a sharp cry from inside, and the local thunderstorm dispersed. He took the opportunity to knock on the door, and a very haggard looking girl answered it with a scowl.

"What – oh, Gaara-sama. Whatcha need?" she asked with a yawn. He smiled and on impulse, he lifted her into his arms and carried her back into her small one room house. Setting her on the bed, he pushed her back down, and covered her with the light blanket.

"It's nothing that can't wait until morning, Sayomi," he said quietly, standing. "Go back to sleep, and come find me when you wake up."

Her brow furrowed, black eyes hazy with an edge of sleep. "But," she yawned, "How will I find you?"

Now it was his turn to frown. "Has no one taught you chakra sensing yet?" She shook her head, and he did too, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"I will give you a better lesson tomorrow, but…" he flared his chakra, letting it build until he saw her eyes widen. "Do you feel it?"

"Yea…" she whispered, reaching out a tiny hand. "It's…it kinda feels like how I think the desert would. Really dry and hot, but it's got a really bad taste to it."

He blinked. "A taste?"

She nodded, yawning again and smiling at him. "Ya. It tastes like bad meat."

"Hmmm…that would probably be the Bijuu that is sealed inside me. Alright, second part. I want you to concentrate as I lower my chakra, and tell me when you can't feel it anymore." He kept his voice emotionless, unless she sensed the rage that was building inside him. He had no doubt that she did indeed know what bad meat tasted like, and that enraged him. He was also sure that if he asked some of the other children, they would know as well. What kind of life had these kids been through? At least he and Naruto had a roof and food when they needed it.

She nodded, and he began to draw his chakra back inside his body, imagining a blanket wrapping around him slowly. It wasn't until he had almost completely drawn it back in, that she nodded.

He blinked. That was surprising. He didn't expect her to be able to sense his chakra when he was barely broadcasting any. "Alright. Now, do you think you can find me if I have my chakra at this level?" She nodded again with another yawn, her eyes gleaming with accomplishment. With a small smile, he reached out and fondly ruffled her hair. "You did very well Sayomi. Go to sleep and I will see you tomorrow."

She gave him a brilliant smile, and snuggled under the covers. He stayed with her until he was sure she was sound asleep, and then left the house quietly.

He made his way silently down to the beach, sitting cross-legged as he watched the waning moon make its way slowly across the sky, and thought.

Even though he tried to think of their current situation, his mind kept turning back to his companions. He scowled slightly. His brain had been doing that more often lately, almost to the point that Shukaku was ready to tell the Kyuubi, despite his assurances that he would tell them himself.

But there his thoughts were. Not far behind those of Naruto, were those of Sasuke. He wondered if he and Sasuke felt the same. Like they had been cold, dead planets, that were slowly drawn into the orbit of a warm, bright sun. Life had flourished, all because of that one particular ball of energy. He had family, a true family, one he had given up hope of ever receiving. Yes, Temari and Kankuro were family by blood, but Naruto, Sasuke…they were the family he had chosen. He had given them everything that he was, and they returned it tenfold. Even now, there were other people who were slowly creeping onto that list.

Itachi, Sayomi, and even possibly Kisame and Jiraiya. He had people that relied on him, his strength, to keep them safe and watch their backs. To fight alongside them…and possibly more.

He made no sound as he pulled his knees to his chest, but mentally he groaned. It always came back to that, and though he wasn't surprised – he was hitting the hormonal teenager stage with a vengeance – he was just worried about where it would leave them if he expressed his desires. For him, and his hormones, Naruto was the sun, where a single touch could burn him to a crisp even as he begged for more. Then Sasuke. He wondered if the Uchiha's cool intellect would mean that he'd be like the frost. So beautiful to look at, to touch, until it melted under the heat of fingertips.

He shivered slightly as the mental image of him melting Sasuke's icy exterior flashed by. Also, the images of what he had seen that night, before they had found their island, with Naruto and Sasuke on the roof…

…"_Shut the hell up and just fuck me Naruto." He emphasized that with a hard downward thrust of his hips, making Naruto gasp and grab them, his fingertips digging in, and sure to leave bruises. Sasuke didn't wait for any more objections. Using the leverage of his hands on Naruto's chest he impaled himself as fast and hard as his body would let him…_

_Shit!_ He did groan out loud this time, burying his face in his hands as need flashed through him. He had seen other people having sex before, he knew all of the mechanics for it, but he had never seen two people that he was physically attracted to having sex. It had been…well, to quote Naruto, fucking hot.

Standing, he made an abrupt decision. Slinging the gourd off, he flung himself into the cool water. From now on, he was going to do everything that he could to make those two want him, and want to include him in their relationship. He honestly believed at this point, that even if things didn't work out physically, they would still have their friendship, and brotherhood.

The three of them were too close for it to be otherwise, and he firmly believed in that.

With a smirk he surfaced, slicking his still shoulder length hair back away from his face. He was planning on growing it out now, just so he could put it back into a ponytail and have all of it be away from his eyes. With his decision made, he sat back on the beach, using the gourd to support his back, and started to meditate until Sayomi found him in the morning.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This chapter contains sex, of the three way kind. Which means, Naruto/Gaara/Sasuke. Don't like...well, just skip it then.**

**Summary: Everyone blinked at his outburst, and Jiraiya grinned, immensely pleased. Naruto had sounded just like Minato. "Whatever you say, Kage-sama."**

**Theme: I Would Die For You - Garbage**

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It had been a very amusing month for Jiraiya and Itachi. They even had a bet going around as to how long it would take Gaara to finally get either Naruto, Sasuke, or both of them into bed with him. Even now, as Jiraiya and Itachi observed their three way sparring match, the sexual tension in the air was almost unbearable.

Almost being the key word.

"Would you look at that," Itachi muttered, his onyx eyes dancing. Jiraiya snickered as he followed the dark gaze, finding Sasuke straddling Gaara with a kunai to the pale throat, and Gaara was simply looking up at him, a predatory smirk on his face. Sasuke blushed bright red and jumped off, much to the amusement of the two men watching.

"They just need to fuck and get it over with."

They both jumped when Sayomi's voice reached them, neither of them having felt the girl at all. Gaara was giving her personal lessons, and it was showing in a major way. It also helped that they found out she wasn't 5 like they had thought. She was actually 9, going to be 10 in December, and she was merely very small and petite for her age. It was doubtful that she would ever grow past 5 feet. Her personality and social skills had also skyrocketed since she was no longer on her own, as she had been since she was just 3. Just hearing her speak one could tell that she was older and more mature then she looked.

Hovering behind her was Leola, the young female with the Sharingan. According to Itachi, she was only the third female out of their entire history to have a fully activated Sharingan, and she also had the potential to be just as powerful as the brothers. Leola had taken to following Sayomi around, obviously impressed by the older girl's attitude. Sayomi had taken Sasuke's arrogant exterior, Naruto's unpredictableness, and Gaara's cool personality and twisted them into her own, unique style. She was extremely blunt, an example being what she had just said, but was honest to a fault.

Itachi chuckled very softly. "I think you're right, Sayomi. It's obvious that they want each other, they work well together, and they are already in a three way relationship, just without the formalities."

They all looked up when Naruto yelled "Fuck!" just in time to see both him and Gaara holding their heads, a small amount of blood coming from their ears and nose. They didn't rush over, knowing that the two teens would need a moment to sort the information that their sealed clones had sent them. By the time they did, Sasuke was also holding his head with one hand, absently wiping away the blood from his nose with another. There was a brief flash of green from the hand on his head, and the frown of pain smoothed away quickly.

"Three of them? Damnit…" Naruto muttered, rubbing his temples as the Kyuubi's deep red healing chakra encased his fingertips.

"Jobs?" Itachi asked mildly, kneeling down so he could face the three of them. Naruto glanced at Sayomi and Leola, before nodding.

"Sayomi. I won't be able to train you today, so you should find Hikari and have him work on your control," Gaara muttered, and instead of arguing, Sayomi only nodded and grabbed Leola's hand, dragging the younger girl back into the woods and towards the village.

"Jiraiya, we're going to need your help with these. I got one from Kumo, Gaara has one from Iwa, and Sasuke has one from Suna. We need to go to Suna anyway, so the three of us will go there. I need you, Itachi, and Kisame to go to Kumo. What they want is more up your alley then ours anyway."

Jiraiya crossed his arms, scowling at the blond. "So we're now a part of this Kariudo? I didn't sign up to be a mercenary, gaki."

He blinked, suddenly finding pissed sapphire eyes right in his face.

"How the hell do you think we're going to get money to fund this little village of ours Jiraiya? Kariudo is the only thing bringing in money right now, and we aren't the only ones who need it. People need supplies, food that we can't grow, and building materials so we can actually get these people in houses so they aren't living in shacks! These are our people to protect and you're going to help or you're going to get the fuck out!"

Everyone blinked at his outburst, and Jiraiya grinned, immensely pleased. Naruto had sounded just like Minato. "Whatever you say, Kage-sama."

Naruto blushed and scowled at him, backing away. He couldn't quite hide the pleased expression on his face though.

"Naruto, what are you going to do about the one in Iwa? I don't believe it would be a good idea to broadcast that there are more then three members in Kariudo," Jiraiya pointed out.

"Ya, I know I know. After we get done in Suna, we'll send you a message via a sealed clone that one of you makes, and then the three of you can take the job in Kumo. We'll leave it up to them to figure out how we got from Suna, to Kumo, and then Iwa so fast. We should already be in Iwa by the time you guys get done, and we'll send a sealed clone with you too."

Itachi was already nodding, as was Jiraiya. "Alright gaki, we'll do it your way."

Naruto nodded, and the five of them sat down in a circle.

"Alright, the job in Kumo is relatively simple. My clone there has all the information you need," he said, glancing between his godfather and Itachi.

They were both struck by how different he seemed now. Clean words, arms crossed, the very picture of authority, and he was doing it wearing a pair of ragged shorts and Tsunade's necklace. Since he spent so much time in the sun, and all of his tattooed seals where white ink not black, they looked like scars. In a sense they were, and spoke of experience, even though they all knew it was rare for the Kyuubi to let him scar.

He glanced at Sasuke, and the older boy stood with a nod, stepping silently over to Jiraiya. "I am going to put you into a weak genjutsu, so I can give you the image of your contact."

Jiraiya tilted his head, the spy in him coming to the surface. "I might need more information then that to do my job properly."

Sasuke smirked slightly as Naruto shrugged. "You've been traveling around the world for the past thirty years, Ero-Sennin. I'm sure you can manage. There is no reason you need to know more then his face." He blinked as the world spun, and nodded to Sasuke when the contacts image was imprinted into his brain. Sasuke released the genjutsu, and stepped back. Then the blonds' eyes widened slightly as a huge, sharp grin spread over his face, but he covered it quickly with a hand, looking down.

Gaara's eyes closed as he leaned against his gourd, but his lips twitched in mirth. At the same time, a cocky smirk stretched across Sasuke's face, his eyes glittering. The men blinked in wonderment. It was obvious they had the mind link open, and whatever it was that Naruto thought of, had been shown instantly to the other two. No hesitation, no thought as to the fact they were literally giving their mind to the other two.

It was a sign of utter trust that let one shinobi do that to another. Each one apart was a formidable enemy. Together…

Fingers snapped in front of both their faces, and the two men zoned back into all of them openly smirking.

"You two alive in there?" Naruto asked sarcastically, standing up with fluid grace. He dusted his pants off, shaking his head. "I swear, you two think too damn much."

"How do you want us to do this?" Itachi asked calmly. "Your last jobs were pretty high profile, especially the one in Iwa."

"Hmmm…" Naruto muttered, narrowing his eyes as the slit pupils contracted even further. "How is Kisame at stealth?"

"Surprisingly good."

A sharp nod. "Alright, then we'll do all three of these the same way. Quick and silent, unless our employer wants something different. Agreed?"

Jiraiya and Itachi both nodded.

"Oh, and Itachi holds the money, and I'm trusting him to give the three of you your share."

"Hey! Why does Itachi get to hold the money?"

"Cause you'll spend it on booze and women Ero-Sennin!"

"Of course I will! Who the hell do you think I am? Some holy man?"

"Well you are a damn Sennin, doesn't that count?"

Jiraiya opened his mouth again, and paused. "Well, technically yes, but-"

"See!"

And just like that it dissolved into a philosophical debate between the two as they jumped off the cliff, sailing through the air still arguing. They landed with a slight indent in the ground, and in the same motion, pushed themselves into the trees and towards the village.

Still arguing.

Sasuke shook his head, and walked over to Itachi. "It's what they do before a job. At least, that's what Naruto says. I need to get those memories from you Itachi, so I can show them to Temari."

"They have a unique relationship," he murmured, and turned towards the cliff face, the other two following him. A slight shiver ran through him as he flew through the air. This was the first time that he was actually looking forward to having a job. Though it felt more like a mission, but either way, his mind was already flashing through different ways to do it. That hadn't happened to him in a very long time.

Something small blossomed in his chest that he immediately cut away. Hope was not something he wanted, or needed right now.

**-x-x-x-x-**

It took them five days to get to Suna, and as Gaara bowed before the robed figure of his sister, he couldn't help but grin. She had absolutely no idea who they were and he was tempted to play with her a bit, but decided against it.

"Kazekage-sama, you wanted to meet with us?"

"Yes. We have reports that Sasori of the Red Sand is on his way here, under orders to steal something from this Village. He is only a day away, on the edges of the desert to the east. Since you already killed three Akatsuki members, I figured it would be better to simply pay you, then deal with the loss of life."

Gaara's grin turned sharper. Well, his sister had certainly taken lessons from Tsunade, though in his opinion Temari was blunter. If that was possible.

He bowed, followed by the two behind him. "We are to be paid half now-"

A scroll was thrown at his face, but he caught it easily. "Many thanks, Kazekage-sama. We will return when we have his head."

They disappeared, leaving nothing but a scowling Kage, and a brief brush of wind.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"Sasuke, now would be the time for you to use your sand barrier technique."

He gave Gaara a confused look, and then followed his gaze to the south. There, on the edge of the horizon, was a fast approaching sandstorm. Snarling, he performed the hand seals, and a bubble extended around him. Now he was glad of all the time he had spent sparring with Gaara. They developed this jutsu specifically to keep sand away from them, and it seemed that it would be useful in sandstorms as well. Sasuke was about to turn to Gaara to yell at him – since Shukaku could easily keep the sand from them, but an abnormally warm hand slipped inside his mask and covered his mouth.

"Don't Sasuke," Naruto hissed in his ear, and he twisted around, but all words died at the feral red eyes, Naruto's mask already on the top of his head under the hood of the cloak. "It's taking nearly everything I have to keep the Kyuubi contained. Something about forces of nature…it brings out the true beast in us."

"Us?" he asked quietly, and Naruto nodded his head towards Gaara, the red heads mask in the same position as Naruto's. The storm hadn't quite hit them yet, but he was standing there with his arms crossed, a very small smile on his face, but the odd, diamond pupils were already yellow, black starting to bleed from them into the teal. Gaara wore a look on his face that neither had seen since the Chuunin exams. Then again, they had never been in anything worse than a mild thunderstorm either. And, in the desert, Gaara and Shukaku were gods.

He watched Naruto from the corner of his eye, and he could see the tiny twitches that his lover tried to hide. His hands were convulsing in and out of fists, and his lips were peeled back in a small snarl. It was obvious that he was fighting the primal nature, and didn't really want to. With a small sigh, Sasuke walked over to him.

"Go to Gaara." He held up a hand when Naruto frowned, opening his mouth. "I am not upset. For the record, I am not even jealous. I would rather marry Sakura then have a Bijuu sealed inside me, no offense to Red or Shukaku." He reached out a hand, and traced the broadened scars on his lover's cheeks, smiling when Naruto kissed his palm in thanks. "Now go. I'll find a cave and wait it out. But if you two don't come back with Sasori's head, then I _will_ be mad."

Naruto gave him a huge smile, slightly spoiled by the insane edge to it, but it was still his happy smile. He dashed over to Gaara, crouching down by the red heads side, his hands between his legs and kneading the sand there. Sasuke sighed and brushed a finger over his wrist.

_Be careful you two._

They both looked at him, and an electric bolt of pure carnal lust shot through him. Now all of their focus was on him, and it rode his skin almost like a version of killer intent. Instead of the fear, he simply wanted to give his body to them. He knew it would be a bloody, utterly mad thing to do, but he still wanted it. Sasori was less than three hours from them, still at the edge of the trees to the east. They could so easily ride the storm and take his head, but…

Their eyes…one pair yellow and black, the other the color of blood, both inhuman, both…incredibly powerful, and the one thing guaranteed to turn him on. Their chakra began to fill the air as the storm drew nearer, but their eyes never left him, and his breathing was becoming painfully fast. Their chakra, and the chakra of the Bijuu licked at his skin, and he gasped at the feeling, his knees beginning to tremble.

The storm hit them hard, but he only got the sensation of fine grains of sand falling gently onto him. Gaara and Naruto's chakra had combined in a dome around them, pulsing like a living thing. Now his skin was crawling with the feel, and he couldn't stand it anymore. With a soft moan of rapture, he collapsed.

He never hit the ground though, because strong arms caught him, a scorching body covering his as he was lowered to the ground. The burning sensation was even stronger now, and he thrashed in the grip of it, his eyes flying open when two growls were added to the howling of the sandstorm. He couldn't - _wouldn't_ - stop the ivory colored hands as they peeled apart his cloak, slipping the mask to the top of his head. Clawed fingers stroked his cheek, and he hissed at the pleasure/pain combination as they barely sliced the delicate skin. Locking eyes with yellow and black, he choked down a whimper at the predatory focus Gaara was giving him.

A sharp growl ripped through the howling of the storm, and suddenly the fierce heat was snatched away from him. Gasping at the lost warmth, Sasuke stared as Naruto/Kyuubi locked his arms around Gaara/Shukaku, blood beginning to roll down pale arms from sharp, black claws.

"**You do not make my mate bleed!"** Naruto snarled, and Gaara twisted effortlessly away from him, glaring at the blond as he smirked.

"**He wanted it brother,"** he hissed, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes, anger mixing heavenly with the arousal flowing in his veins.

As they started to argue, neither noticed his chakra beginning to pulse, and neither looked as he stood slowly, his eyes bleeding into the Sharingan. Crossing his arms, he took slow, deep breaths, trying to calm his body. It wasn't working to well though, with both Bijuu's chakra flowing around him, and the chakra of the two males he found entirely to delectable.

When Naruto pulled his fist back, his temper snapped. His electric white chakra joined the mass flowing around them, and he could tell that the anger that was fueling it hurt the other two, because they flinched and stared at him.

"You two need to stop, fucking, arguing. Neither of you will get to fuck my ass if you don't quit. In fact, if you keep arguing, you'll get to watch my ass walk away and I'll take on Sasori by my fucking self."

His words had the effect he wanted, because in a blink of his eyes, Gaara was back to being right before him, and Naruto was behind. With a satisfied groan, he let his head fall back, smirking as he looked at the red head from beneath his eye lashes.

"Are you two done?" he asked silkily. He felt Naruto nod, and watched as Gaara did the same. "Good. Now, one of you fuck me before I change my mind."

"**With pleasure,"** they both growled out, and he couldn't stop the whimper as their chakra spiked again, sending it marching across his skin like thousands of tiny biting ants.

His cloak came off, revealing the plain black clothing he had on underneath. That was also quickly stripped away, leaving the black mesh armor and boxers. His head was thrown back with a growl of pleasure as the boxers were removed in one swift movement, and Gaara's mouth sank down all the way on his cock. Naruto's claws hands rested on his ribs, and as Gaara began to move his head slowly, Sasuke lifted his arms, and buried his hands on Naruto's hair, turning his head and biting down on the exposed skin on the tan neck.

Naruto growled as Sasuke smirked, releasing his neck to gasp sharply when Naruto's claws pierced the skin of his ribcage. His back arched, almost rising up on his tiptoes except for the second pair of clawed hands that had hold of his hips firmly. There was so much power, so much burning pleasure…

From the blood he could feel still running down his cheek, the way Gaara's hot mouth moved so agonizingly slow up and down his shaft, the scorching heat of the man holding him from behind…it was too much, and he knew in the moment the Curse Mark activated, everything had just spiraled out of control for all three of them.

The power slammed through him, and with it, one of his most powerful orgasms. It was wrenched from his body by Gaara, who now bore a yellow cloak just like Naruto's, and he screamed gutturally into the howling sky, still held firm by Naruto.

He was panting for breath when Gaara pulled away, and snarled when he felt that wonderful, painful power trying to be locked back away. Freeing his hands from Naruto's hair, he grabbed Gaara's, and wrenched the ivory face so he could look at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sasuke growled with a sinister chuckle, but it turned into a moan of pleasure when Naruto grabbed his hips, grinding into him from behind. "I thought I said one of you needs to fuck me. We're not done yet."

Gaara smirked, his yellow and black eyes dancing wickedly as he stood back up, looking over Sasuke's shoulder to Naruto. Sasuke was having a hard time concentrating now, because Naruto was grinding into him with slow, hard movements, and he could feel just how hard the blond was. Remembering the times they had sex, the feel of something so hard yet soft so deep inside him…

He snarled as his hands were grabbed roughly from Gaara's hair, fighting mindlessly against the restraining hands, his wings beating along with his effort. He didn't know why he was fighting, because he wanted this, he wanted it badly, but he couldn't stop himself. He had to make a stand, he couldn't just let them take him over, he had to fight for his place…

He froze and let out a wild cry as Gaara bit down harshly on the juncture between shoulder and neck, his skin growing even more sensitized at the feel of his blood running down it. He opened his eyes in time to see a silent conversation passing between the Hosts; a conversation he could have no part of since it was probably made between the Bijuu.

Suddenly he was whipped around, his hands now locked above his head. The still rational part of his brain registered a random chakra signature coming towards them, but the rational part wasn't in control at the moment. All he could see was the darkly tanned, tattooed expanse of Naruto's body, and his mouth literally salivated at the opportunity to be able to bite and lick the skin that was his.

He never got the chance though, a hoarse scream being ripped out of him as two, slender fingers were plunged into him. He barely felt the burn and pain of being stretched without lube, so entranced by the pulsing, powerful chakra that was flowing around them. He thrust his body backwards, forcing the fingers deeper inside of him, barely keeping his feet when they started to pump in and out savagely.

"You should have found that cave, Sasuke," Naruto growled into his ear, and surprisingly, he found himself laughing manically. _This_ was what he had always craved. _This_ was what his body was screaming for. He wanted these powerful beings to brand themselves onto him, he wanted to _belong_ to them…this was what he had been searching for when he left to find Orochimaru. It was ironic that what he had been looking for was right before him all this time…

His body jerked with a loud howl as the fingers inside him curled, pressing hard into his sweet spot.

"That's a delicious noise, my ice prince," Gaara purred darkly from behind him, and slid his fingers almost gently from Sasuke. Spinning crimson eyes locked with the other pair of red for a heart stopping moment of pure adrenaline, before clawed hands grabbed his hips, and Gaara thrust into him hilt deep.

He screamed with the rush of pain and pleasure, his voice rough and deep. He twisted, not really knowing if he was trying to get away or closer to the two men who had him pinned, but then Gaara _wrenched_ his hips backwards, and his mind exploded with the savage rapture.

Searing heat pressed along his front, and with a fluidity that had become their trademark, his legs were wrapped around Naruto's waist, Gaara still hilt deep inside him. His hard cock was pressed against Naruto's, and as Gaara started thrusting fast and deep into him, it forced their hips to move against one another. He ripped his hands from Naruto's strong grasp, flinging one back to bury in Gaara's hair, the other clenching into a fist around golden locks. He held them tightly, relishing the pain echoing through his body, followed by wave after wave of pleasure, branding them onto his skin, inside his body…

Then everything froze as the chakra signature he had felt earlier crossed their barrier, and three pairs of very, very pissed eyes turned, only to see Sasori not five feet from them.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: *coughs* Uh...well, this chapter has some heavy smut. Warning now - if you don't like DP (double penetration) then don't read the smut. *bows* That will be all.**

**Summary: "I want you both inside me," Gaara purred, looking back and forth between both pairs of wide eyes. "And before you say anything, yes, I know what I'm getting myself into. And I still want it."**

**Theme: Closer - Nine Inch Nails**

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* * *

**

Out of everything Sasori had expected to see when he followed the three chakra signatures, this was not it. What he had been expecting when he noticed Shukaku and Kyuubi's chakra had been a vicious battle. Not…this.

Three teens…no, men, were standing there, right before him, and all three were completely, and utterly naked. And in a very compromising position. A very…arousing position.

Unfortunately, his shock at what he stumbled onto proved to be his undoing. He only had a moment to take everything in – wild, long blond hair, feral crimson eyes, slit pupils – grey skin, wing like appendages, furious, burning Sharingan eyes – blood red hair, flushed ivory skin, yellow and black eyes promising lots of pain – before they were on him.

His puppet Hiruko was destroyed almost instantly when a chakra laden fist slammed into its back, cracking it open ridiculously easy. He was forced to remove his body from it and leap away, already reaching into his pouch to grab the scrolls to summon more puppets. It was at times like this that he wondered why their leader hadn't recruited anymore Akatsuki members, because having a partner would be helpful at the moment. He also cursed the fact that he had allowed himself to be taken by surprise. Because of it, he had the feeling he was about to die.

He was forced to block a furious kick with both arms, closing his eyes as he was thrown into the sandstorm. Relying on his senses, he barely dodged as he landed when a spinning vortex of fire was aimed at him. He idly noted - as he blocked another kick, engaging in a furious taijutsu battle with the Sharingan user - that the fire tornado had gathered sand as well, turning it into very sharp glass. A few of the pieces had hit him, though luckily he couldn't feel them with his puppet body.

He didn't even have time to form hand seals for any type of jutsu as several blond clones surrounded him, sand swallowing the grey skinned youth and ripping him away. Several rapidly spinning balls of purple energy slammed into him, and he was able to use his chakra as a pure defense, blocking most of them. He couldn't stop them all, and as he finally rolled to a halt, he realized that both of his arms were useless, the mechanisms that held them together snapped.

That meant that the blond either got very lucky, or the others were for a distraction, while he made his arms useless. He would bet that the blond wasn't that lucky. They were too precise.

He met his end facing a smug, bloodthirsty smirk. A hand coated with some sort of lightning jutsu screeched towards his heart, and he closed his eyes, knowing there was nothing he could do, because it was moving too fast, and he had already used up a lot of his chakra defending against the blond.

After a moment, and the chirping of the jutsu still filling his ears, he opened his eyes slowly. The blond had the Uchiha's wrist, though it wasn't in a death grip. All three were glaring at him, obviously fighting with the urge to kill him. To say the least, he was curious.

"Why aren't you killing me?" he asked quietly, showing no expression when all three snarled at him.

"We should, simply because you know who we are," the blond growled. Uzumaki Naruto if he remembered right. Then Uchiha Sasuke and Subaku Gaara would be the other two. So they _were_ Kariudo, the ones that killed his fellow Akatsuki members. He had suspicions, but it was nice having them confirmed. "But you have a network as vast as ours, and I want to know where Orochimaru is."

Sasori shrugged. He saw no reason to hold the information back from them, despite the partnership he and Orochimaru had shared in the past. "Last I was in contact with him, he was somewhere in Kumo. That was three months ago. He has been looking for you three, and it is rather impressive that he hasn't found you yet."

Sasuke snorted slightly, and Sasori had to admit, he was growing confused. Why didn't they kill him? They were giving him ample time to use the repertoire of weapons that he had placed in his body. A better question: Why wasn't he using them? After a moment, he had it. Simple curiosity.

Sasuke let his Chidori fade, and Naruto took his place, directly in front of Sasori. He showed nothing, but inside he shivered at the ancient, searching crimson eyes.

"What do you want most, Sasori?" he asked quietly, and Sasori raised an eyebrow. It seemed this child was asking him a serious question.

"I want the Ichibi Host-"

All three snarled and he was nearly knocked off his feet, out of breath when three spikes of killing intent washed over him. It was only his training that kept the blank look on his face.

"That wasn't what I meant, Sasori. What do you want out of life? What would make you willing to abandon Akatsuki and join us?"

The killing intent vanished with identical looks of shock on Gaara and Sasuke's face. However, Naruto remained looking at him steadily, a depth of cunning in the red eyes that made Sasori slightly apprehensive. It was something he could respect however, since it was the same look he saw in his Leader's eyes.

He dropped gracefully into a sitting position, nodding his head to indicate they should do the same. Naruto's question deserved a truthful, thoughtful answer. Sasuke dashed away, and returned with their cloaks and pants, and a part of Sasori was glad, while another was slightly disappointed. He would willingly admit that all three of them were prime specimens of a male shinobi. Lithe, fluid muscles, confident aura. It spoke of harsh training, and knowing exactly what your body could do. It also bumped his respect for them up a few notches, and he grew even more curious about their offer.

When they were all seated, he glanced around, taking absent note of the pulsing dome of chakra that kept the sandstorm from them.

"I am only with Akatsuki because they allow me to practice my art without throwing me to Suna," he said quietly. "I make my puppets out of living people."

None of them showed an expression, except for the tightening of their eyes that showed displeasure, and possibly disgust. He trained his eyes on Naruto, and was surprised once again to see disgust, yes, but also an intense curiosity.

"I won't ask how you make them, because you wouldn't tell me anyway. I would allow you to experiment, as long as they are enemies, and it doesn't get out of hand."

That was an interesting twist. One that Naruto's companions obviously didn't like if the glares the blond was receiving was any indication.

"You would allow me to continue my experiments?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Naruto shrugged. "While we were with Orochimaru, I learned something. Don't get me wrong, I don't like those whole human experimenting thing, but I would rather have you on our side, then with Akatsuki. I learned that sometimes you have to overlook the smaller picture, to get the bigger one." His eyes hardened into chips of ruby, and Sasori was treated to the full effect of apparently both the Kyuubi and Naruto glaring at him. "One day you will pay for your crimes, Sasori. But right now, your more useful to me alive then dead. Besides, I'd pay you."

Sasori tilted his head to the side slightly. "How do you have the authority to make this offer?"

Surprisingly, he blushed, and it was Gaara who spoke up. "He is a Kage now."

Sasori's blue eyes sharpened on the blond. Things just kept getting better and better. "A Kage. Really now…"

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, sticking his chin out petulantly. "Yea, so? What about it?"

Another surprise. It was slightly unnerving to have Naruto switch like that – going from serious leader to embarrassed teen – but it was strangely endearing. Sasori found himself chuckling softly, in true amusement. He would admit to himself privately that he might have left Akatsuki simply to see where their lives led them. It was going to be an interesting path for these three, and for anyone involved.

"I agree to your terms, Uzuma-"

He was cut off with a shake of the blond head, and a slightly sad smile. "It's Namikaze now."

Inside he reeled. Why hadn't he seen it before? The same blond hair, blue eyes…even the shape of the face was going to be the same once Naruto grew into it…

"My apologizes, Namikaze Naruto. You have my word that I will abide by all your rules. Do not expect me, however, to abide by them once you come after me for my bounty."

He was taken aback by the sharp edged grin.

"We're _going_ to collect your bounty, Sasori."

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasori was amazed as he watched the young adult he had found and killed, slowly transforming into a flesh and blood copy of him. After the transformation was done, Gaara gave a flourish with his small brush and the seal flared yellow, before disappearing all together. Curious, he searched the corpse, and could find no trace of foreign chakra. Even his senses were telling him that this person lying before them was himself.

"Amazing…" he whispered. Gaara inclined his head at the compliment, putting away his sealing supplies and emptying the chakra laden blood he had taken from Sasori into the sand. With his chakra, he buried the blood deep down into the earth, deep enough that no one would be able to sense the remnants of Sasori's chakra and blood until they dispersed back into nature.

With a fluid, swift movement, a back to normal Sasuke beheaded the transformed teen, sealing it into a small scroll. Naruto drew them all back, and Sasuke – without the use of hand seals or spoken word – burnt the corpse until it was nothing but ashes that blew away in the dying sandstorm.

He borrowed a cloak from Gaara, making sure the hood was deep enough to cover his face, as the three teens wrapped themselves in the trappings of their profession. He was amused to see that they wore hunter-nin masks – Iwa for Naruto, Konoha for Sasuke, and Kiri for Gaara. He knew that they had taken the job to kill Itachi and Kisame, so he wondered how they had gotten away with showing up in front of the Hokage with one of their masks. He hummed silently to himself as he was handed a Kumo mask, slipping it on and blinked when he found he could see right through the heavy porcelain. Growing more curious the more he thought of it, he decided to ask.

"I am surprised that Konoha did not want retribution for the hunter-nin you killed of theirs," he commented.

Sasuke just shrugged, but none of them volunteered any information, which was what he was expecting.

"Are you coming to Iwa with us, Sasori?" Naruto asked, his mask on the top of his head while he finished adjusting his various pouches. "We have another job there after this one. We can either send you…well, you'll see. Or you can travel with us. Also…"

Sasori kept his calm as 'Kage' Naruto turned to him, his eyes hard planes of sapphire. "You now know that we are Kariudo. If this information gets out, I will know who to blame, and there is nothing on this world that will protect you. Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly, Kage-sama."

Naruto continued to stare at him for a long moment, judging whether his words were sincere or not, before nodding, and slipping his mask over his face.

He wondered about this place Naruto was talking about, but he supposed he would see eventually. He inclined his head, and he wondered if they realized how much respect that showed he held for the three of them, especially the blond. The son of the only man he had truly respected and feared…would wonders never cease.

"I will travel with you," he said simply, and followed them as they dashed into the sandstorm towards Suna.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Gaara tossed the scroll to his sister. "As promised, Kazekage-sama."

She caught it, and smirked at them, impressed. "That was quick gentlemen. I must ask, when did you acquire a new member?"

"We found a stray, Kazekage-sama. They are no concern of yours."

She knew a dismissal when she heard one, and through it rankled, she let it drop. Not only had this group killed Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara, but now Sasori as well. She knew her limits, and though she was the Kazekage, she knew she wouldn't stand a chance against them. Shrugging, she threw them the other half of their payment, the leader in the Kiri mask catching it easily and pocketing it.

"We have confidential information we must share with you, Kazekage-sama. If you would activate the silencing wards?"

She narrowed her eyes, wondering how he knew of the wards, but with a few hand seals, she did as they asked. She was the third Kage they had taken jobs from, so she supposed it was natural for them to know of the wards. Plus, it was common sense that there would have to be a way for the Kage's to hold private meetings. It was a stupid move, but it only kept people outside the room from hearing what was being said inside. It wouldn't stop her private guard from interfering if she gave the signal.

She steepled her fingers together and rested them on her chin, and the lead man took it as a signal to begin, which it was. He stepped forward and handed her a sealed scroll. Breaking the seal and unrolling it, she began to read, and the words written made sweat break out on her face, a fine trembling starting in her hands.

Finally, she put it down carefully, and gave her full attention to the men standing in front of her.

"Is this accurate?"

"Every word, Kazekage-sama. We can give you more proof, if necessary."

"Who did you get this information from?"

She could nearly hear the smirk as he answered, "Your brother and his companions."

She was immediately out of her seat, glaring at the masked faces. "Tell me where they are."

"We cannot do that, Kazekage-sama. When they gave us this information, it was with the promise that we would not reveal their location." He hesitated as she sat, defeated. "I can tell you that the three of them are happy." _And with no intention of coming home._

He heard two hums of affirmation in his mind, and smiled behind the mask.

"We ask, Kazekage-sama, that you pass this information onto the Hokage. Also, let Tsunade-hime know that we can get in contact with them, so should you need to arrange a meeting, we can get the message to them."

She flapped her hand, eyes hard and mind whirling. "That will be soon, I am sure. Now leave. You gave me much to think about."

They bowed, and she lifted the silencing wards as they vanished out the window and into the desert night.

Much to think about. She snorted. That was the understatement of the year.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Once they were outside Suna, Naruto gave a sharp whistle. All three watched in silence as a common desert hawk floated down, eyeballing Sasori suspiciously before landing on Naruto's shoulder.

"Alright, we're done."

The clone nodded, and after a moment, nodded again. With a screech, it poofed into smoke.

"That was Kage Bunshin?" Sasori asked. "I didn't think they could go more than 100 yards from their master."

"They can't," Gaara answered, but when Sasori gazed at him, clearly asking for a better explanation, he only smirked and cocked an eyebrow.

Shaking his head, Sasori let it drop. He had a feeling he wouldn't get any of their secrets for a long time, if ever.

Then they started moving north towards Iwa at such a pace, that there was no room left in Sasori's mind to think.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto couldn't help but smirk as Sasori and Gaara grumbled almost identically at being the 'children' of their family this time. He happened to think it was quite entertaining. He, as a blonde female, Sasuke as the black haired father, with two red headed children. All they would need is someone like Kiba and they would have every hair color!

He sighed at the pang of guilt and longing, but resolved to go back to Konoha soon to see his old friends. He especially wanted to see Hinata, if what his clone said was true. The next Hokage! Who would have thought? He really never would have guessed that her and Neji would break away from their Clan, after Hinata removed the Seal from her cousins forehead. It was also rumored that they had evolved their eyes into a whole new Kekkei Genkai with the help of Tsunade and Sakura.

And Sakura! She had turned into a medic and powerhouse that rivaled Tsunade herself! That was another thing he wanted to see.

As they walked through the doors of an inn not far from where Gaara's sealed clone kept his business and residence, Naruto smiled brightly at the receptionist.

"Hi! I need a room for me and my family please," he said, and gave her a disarming grin. She started to flip through the book boredly, before finally stopping.

"We don't have any single rooms big enough, but we have two rooms with king sized beds with an adjoining door. Will that work?"

"Yep, that's fine," he said just as happily, and she only snorted. After he gave her the money and she gave them the keys, they made their way upstairs to the second floor, and easily found their rooms. As soon as the door was shut and locked, the three of them took out a brush and some ink, and began to write small seals all over both rooms. As soon as they were done, they turned towards each other.

All it took was a quick game of rock paper scissors, and Sasuke grumbled as he formed the hand seals. Since he had lost, it was his turn to activate the seals. They flared white with his chakra, before dying down, and all of them shook as they released their henges. Sasori agreed. Wearing henges were part of being mercenaries and spies, but they…itched when they were worn to long, like a badly made sweater.

"Ugh, I hate those things," Naruto grumbled as he flopped onto the bed. He hummed softly in pleasure as Sasuke crawled onto it by his head, and maneuvered them both so Naruto's head was in his lap. Gaara and Sasori sat cross legged on the circular rug.

"So what now?" Sasori asked. "I need to acquire the equipment to fix my arms permanently, and I do request that you allow me to gather my own supplies from my home if we travel through Fire."

"That won't be a problem," Gaara said quietly, crossing his arms and cracking his neck slowly. "I own two businesses here. One is a weapons shop, but I believe that it has what you need. The other is a clothing shop, tailored for shinobi. As for your first question, we wait until our other job is finished, and then we begin the one here."

Sasori frowned, ignoring the amused looks on Naruto and Sasuke's faces as they watched the conversation. "Are there clones in your place at this other job?"

"No."

Once again Sasori narrowed his eyes, expecting more, and once again was left in the dark. Before he opened his mouth however, Sasuke spoke.

"Do not take it personally, Sasori. While you may have agreed to leave Akatsuki and join us, I am sure you can understand why we do not trust you yet. Most of your questions will be answered once we leave here, and return to our home. When seeing what we have to show you, I doubt you'd want to go back to Akatsuki anyways."

Sasori didn't miss the most in there. Which meant that there were some things that they weren't going to tell him anyway. He shrugged, and stood. That was fine with him. There were things about himself that they would never find out. It was the way of a shinobi to have secrets.

"Then I am going to buy my supplies. Directions?"

"When you leave, turn left, and go down two blocks. The weapons shop is first, and the clothing is right next door. They're the only ones like that on the street, so you should be able to find them easily."

"I will not be back for several hours at least," he said, pausing in the open doorway when Naruto growled.

"Don't forget what I promised, Sasori."

The puppet master nodded before exiting. He didn't have to be reminded. He knew that Naruto hadn't meant it as a threat. It was a promise, and obviously, a promise he was willing to fulfill.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke immediately stood, and faced the other two with a stony face. "I don't want to leave him alive."

Naruto looked shocked and outraged for a moment, before the more practical side kicked in, and his eyes hardened.

"Why?"

"It would be like telling Orochimaru who we are and where we live!" Sasuke nearly shouted, his hands clenched into fists. He didn't normally let his emotions out like this, but with everything in the desert, now Sasori, plus everything else…he was feeling just a tiny bit peeved.

Naruto sighed and shifted so he could lean against the wall, drawing a knee to his chest and resting an arm on it. "Sasuke, what do you think my plan was when I asked him to join us?"

Sasuke blinked, startled out of his anger, and frowned. "You wanted to give him a second chance."

"Yea, that's part of it, but not all of it." Naruto shifted again, crossing his legs. "How long is it going to be until we can get everyone away from Madara? We already have three Akatsuki members in our pocket, and according to Itachi, there are only four more besides Madara. Sasori told us that he hasn't recruited any new members, and there's still three of us Hosts left. If we take away his pawns…"

Both Sasuke's and Gaara's eyes widened at the simple plan. Take away the pawns, and the king is left on his own, with no defense.

"That's pretty smart Naruto," Gaara murmured, once again surprised by the depths of cunning from the blond. He blinked at the purr from Sasuke, and discreetly bit his cheek at the predatory look in the onyx eyes.

"Mmm…smart enough that I think you deserve a reward," Sasuke said, and Gaara stood instantly, feeling his heart clench painfully. So what happened in the desert _was_ just a fluke. He wasn't surprised but…it still hurt.

"I'll leave the two of you alone then," he said quietly, and turned without looking at them. Before he could even reach the door though, two different hands rested on his shoulders. He stopped moving, but kept facing the door, afraid to turn around and look at them.

Because of that, he actually jumped when two pairs of lips rested on both curves of his neck.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke murmured, and Naruto made a sound of agreement. His heart hammering, Gaara swallowed silently.

"I was going to give you two your privacy."

"Awww," Naruto whined, nipping at the delicate skin of Gaara's neck, making him shiver. His trembles only increased when Sasuke's fingers began trailing up and down the thin skin of his inner arm. "We don't want you to go though. We need to finish what we started before the puppet interrupted us."

Letting his body freely shake, Gaara smirked slightly, his body no longer thrumming with rejection, but desire and happiness. So they _did_ want to include him. It was the best gift he had ever received.

He allowed himself to be stripped, watching through heavy lidded eyes as they also took off their clothes, blatantly letting his eyes roam over their muscled bodies.

Naruto sat down on the edge of the bed, and cocked an eyebrow at him. "So, how do you want to do this?"

Gaara smiled darkly, cocking an eyebrow. "You'll let me choose?"

Naruto shrugged as Sasuke smirked. "Why not?"

Gaara's smile only deepened, the constant video of something he had seen in Suna replaying in his head. He had wanted to try it ever since the possibility of a sexual relationship with the two of them was there.

"Naruto, lie down please," he asked, and with a slow blink, Naruto did, putting his hands behind his head and looking completely relaxed. Licking his lips in anticipation and a little fear, he walked over, and straddled the tan hips. With a blink of surprise, Naruto settled his rather large hands on Gaara's slim hips. With a shiver at the burning contact, Gaara looked over to Sasuke and held out his hand.

With a curious glint in his onyx eyes, he walked over, and felt a thrill move through him at the position he found himself in.

He was between Naruto's legs, but for some reason, he was sure that he wasn't going to be fucking Gaara. Which meant…

"I want you both inside me," Gaara purred, looking back and forth between both pairs of wide eyes. "And before you say anything, yes, I know what I'm getting myself into. And I still want it."

"You…want us both to fuck you?" Naruto whispered, biting down rather hard on his bottom lip. "But…" His body was very obviously betraying his hesitant word, Gaara noticed with a smirk. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I second that," Sasuke murmured, though his hands were almost restlessly wandering over Gaara's stomach and hips now. Shivering and arching his back a little, Gaara laughed softly.

"As I said, I know what this involves, and I am entirely prepared for it." He couldn't resist the next bit, and felt a thrill when he knew he won. "If you two aren't, then I suppose– "

He was cut off by a sharp bite to his shoulder, and a burning hand grasping his cock. His eyes rolled back as he gasped sharply, hands clenching into fists.

"We will have you screaming our names," Naruto growled, slowly beginning to pump. As Sasuke left the bed, getting lube from their personal storage scroll, Gaara leaned forward, rocking his hips in rhythm and pressing his palms to the tan chest.

"I doubt that," he challenged, loving the stubborn glint that entered the sapphire eyes. He almost yelped though, when a cool, slender finger was easily slid inside of him. Nearly instantly he was distracted by the strange sensation by a tug on his cock, and a pair of lips on his neck.

It wasn't long before there was a glaring purple mark on his neck and another finger was slid in. Ignoring the slight burn he pressed back, gasping as he took Sasuke's fingers as deep as he could. It wasn't enough though.

"More," he demanded, giving them a soft keening when a third finger was added, almost coming just from the feeling of being stretched, filled. He shoved back harshly, the zinging pain causing him to throw his head back, one more stroke of Naruto's hands –

That same hand gripped the base of his cock tightly, and he felt his orgasm come to a screeching halt. It left him sweaty and trembling, his nails drawing bloody crescents in Naruto's chest.

"Beg Gaara," Naruto hissed, but he shook his head, biting his bottom lip as the fingers were removed. "Beg!" He did cry out as Sasuke slid smoothly into him, pressing in as deep as he could. But he was still shaking his head, helplessly thrusting his hips, trying to get the release that was being so brutally – and wonderfully – denied to him.

He grabbed onto the broad shoulders as Sasuke thrust, starting a deep, harsh rhythm. His orgasm receded a bit, and he was shocked to find tears in his eyes, the taste of blood on his tongue where he must have bitten his lip. Naruto must have realized it too, because his hand was removed. Gaara's eyes flew open as something silky was wrapped around the base of his cock, Sasuke grabbing his arms and wrenching them behind his back, keeping him from stopping Naruto.

As soon as it was tied just perfectly, Gaara beginning to build up a nice head of anger, Sasuke's hips twitched, hitting a spot in him that sent stars across his vision. In the same thrust, a well lubed finger was thrust inside as well, and he literally did bite through his lip. But he didn't scream, though he badly wanted to. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction, not just yet.

He only got a moment to hear a hiss from Shukaku before the wound was mostly healed, when a somewhat brutal but smooth motion was started. Sasuke _grinded_ against that spot, giving him a constant fissure of pleasure that raced through all his nerves. What he noticed about the second, and third fingers being added, was an aching, burning pleasure that crashed through his body in waves with every motion.

He only realized he was weeping silent tears when Sasuke slowed down a lot, Naruto pressing his cock slowly into Gaara, underneath Sasuke. When he started moving his own hips up and down, taking Naruto in faster then what the blond was doing, the pale eyebrows furrowed.

"Gaara…you'll hurt-"

"Shut, the fuck, up, Naruto," Gaara hissed, groaning along with the other two as the head slipped in. The tears only increased, but he didn't, couldn't, wouldn't stop. It fucking hurt, felt like he was being ripped in two…but it was so fucking good. Both of them, inside him, filling him, branding him as theirs…

He did finally allow a small scream when Naruto slid in all the way, spitting curses through the wetness on his face at the rope around his cock, stopping him at that damn edge of oblivion. Yet he blessed it too, because he didn't want this feeling to ever stop.

His arms were released as the both started to move as one inside him, one on top of the other. He arched his lower back more, digging his fingers harshly into the midnight hair behind him.

They shifted and then they were side by side, causing him to utter a guttural moan. They started alternating their rhythm, Naruto keeping a good grip on Gaara's hips, refusing to let them move at all.

"I want to hear you beg, Gaara," Sasuke hissed into his ear, and with some signal, the two of them sped up, their hips moving in such a way that there was never a moment that his spot wasn't being stimulated.

"Yea Gaara. Beg us to let you come," Naruto purred, and Gaara slit his eyes open, instantly responding to the tinge of red tinting the sapphire eyes. However, he had barely felt Shukaku begin to rise to the surface eagerly, when Naruto flew through hand seals, drawing something on his chest.

In less than an eye blink, Gaara's chakra was sealed. Even Shukaku's.

Gasping, he stared down. "Wha…?"

He yelped when they both started to thrust faster and harder, and he finally did scream a moment after that. A red hot spear of chakra lanced right into his prostate, and an electrical shock danced through his body. He would have come instantly if not for the rope around him, and he tightened his hands.

They moved mercilessly in him, the Kyuubi's chakra and their cocks constantly caressing his gland, while Sasuke used his Chidori to send shocks coursing through him.

He screamed to the ceiling, sweat dripping from their bodies. It didn't take him long before he felt his control shatter, the need to come, to feel them burst within him, and he fell apart.

Writhing in their arms, he panted, "Shit, let me come. Please, please…"

He wasn't entirely prepared when Naruto planted his feet, Sasuke shifting behind him, and the man behind him grabbed a handful of red hair.

He was pushed downwards, grabbing Naruto's shoulders as the other pale hand pressed into his lower back, keeping his ass at a certain arch.

The loudest scream yet was ripped from his throat when they both slammed into him, his nails digging into the blonds shoulder muscle cuticle deep.

He was barely coherent of the words he was whispering, to lost in everything that he couldn't even scream. "Fuck, shit…please, let me…yes, oh fuck…harder…shit!...faster, yes…"

It hurt so fucking bad, a pain that eclipsed his entire lower half, but it all went straight to his cock, and he felt like he was going to burst, regardless of the rope.

Naruto groaned as the same moment that Sasuke gasped, biting his neck, their thrusts becoming a tad more wild.

"Ah fuck…Gaara, come, yes…"

Gaara blinked as the rope slithered away, and for a few thrusts, it was as though his body didn't comprehend yet that it had permission to orgasm. In a rush, it slammed into him.

His breathing stopped completely as every muscle tensed, before wooshing out of him with a hoarse scream. His world was torn apart and reformed in the space of a heartbeat, and as the others came inside him with soft grunts, his world spun around him.

He leaned against Naruto's chest, knowing that he was hyperventilating, and not being able to do a damn thing about it.

He passed out a moment after hearing his name called by two voices in concern.

He awoke some time later, and blinked bleary eyes, his mind trying to sluggishly figure out what happened. Feeling the two familiar chakra presences in the room, he turned his head, only to meet a pair of panicked, guilt ridden sapphire eyes. The onyx ones looking at him weren't any better.

"What…" he tried to say, and ended up coughing. A cup of water was passed to him, and he propped himself up on one elbow, ignoring the dull throb of pain that took up the entirety of his lower back and ass.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What happened?"

Naruto bit his lip, looking away, so he looked to Sasuke. The man sighed and uncrossed his arms, sitting on the end of the bed.

"You almost died."

Gaara blinked in shock. He…almost died? "How?"

Wincing slightly, Sasuke looked down at his hands, and Gaara's own panic started to rise. Was there an attack? Did someone poison him? What the hell…?

"We…well, when we were, uh, having sex…it was too much for your body. We…" Sasuke took another deep breath, and finally turned so he was looking Gaara in the eye. "We almost tore you apart, Gaara. It took Shukaku, myself, and Red healing you to keep you from bleeding out."

Gaara blinked owlishly at them, processing this information, before turning to the silent man in the room. Naruto flinched when his eyes locked on him.

"I told you I knew what I was getting myself into," he stated calmly, and they both stared at him with surprised expression. Then Naruto's became furious.

"You knew that was going to happen?" he demanded, and Gaara shook his head, stretching his arms carefully over his head.

"Not that in particular, no. But I knew it was a possibility considering it was my first time, and how big you both are. I did not expect you to seal my chakra however." He rolled his neck, cracking it, and leaned on his elbows, looking at the other two. "Chalk it up to a lesson learned."

"I am not going to do that again," Naruto hissed, and Gaara snarled, narrowing his eyes at the blond.

"Did I, or did I not just tell you I knew it was a possibility? That was something that I will never regret, and I wouldn't have wanted anything else for my first time." He smirked when reluctant lust lit the blue eyes, and carefully slid the covers off, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He waved off Sasuke when he tried to help him stand, and stood there, wincing a bit as he stretched out his abused muscles.

It took a few minutes of silence, but when he was done, he felt a lot better. He was very happy that on their training trip, Shukaku had taught him control of all his muscles.

Walking over to Naruto, he cupped the scarred cheeks in his hands, and forced the man to look him in the eye. "Do you regret it?"

"I…" Naruto's voice lowered to a whisper as his eyes softened in sadness, reaching up and stroking an ivory cheek. "Not the act, no. What happened after, yes."

Nodding, he looked at Sasuke, reaching out a hand. Sasuke stood and walked over, and Gaara laced their fingers together. "Do you regret it Sasuke?"

The Uchiha shook his head, smiling sadly. "I feel the same as Naruto."

"Well, then we'll just have to be more careful next time." Naruto opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Gaara silenced him with a kiss.

Pulling back, he gave Sasuke one, and sauntered – well, as much as he could – back to the bed. He had just sat down and leaned against the wall when Sasori's chakra flared from outside, and Sasuke let him in.

They all watched in fascination as he took off his cloak, beginning to work on the meticulous gears that allowed his body to move.

"Now what?" Sasori asked, as he cleaned sand out of the gear of his hip.

Gaara shrugged, and gave his two lovers a distinctly evil smile, that made interest light their eyes, and blushes blaze across their cheeks. "We wait. I'm sure we can find _something_ to occupy our time."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Um, yea. So it seems that my smutpuppies wouldn't leave me alone for the past three chapters. So, for all of you who like the unusual pairings, there is a surprise at the end!**

**Summary: Itachi only paused long enough to take his kunai back from the skull.**

**Theme: Bodies - Drowning Pool**

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Itachi bowed to the Raikage in the very early hours of the morning, wondering once again why he was the one chosen for the job as leader.

"You have a job for us, Raikage-sama?" he asked politely. Behind the Kiri mask he frowned. Ah yes, the respect he showed. No one else really did except for Gaara.

The bear of a man gave a booming laugh that had his bones humming in his skin.

"That I do boys!" _Boys? Pompous asshole…_ "First off, prove to me that you're Kariudo."

"How do you wish us to accomplish that?"

"What are the details of the mission I asked of you?"

He wondered if the man was testing them. To ask that question, knowing what the parameters of the job was. They had done their research. The family they were brought here to assassinate were a high profile mob family, that had recently taken up shop in Kumo. They had enough money to hire shinobi, and they did when the civilians started banding together, paying for their own assassins.

He understood the Raikage's position. He couldn't turn down the money that the family brought to his shinobi, but he couldn't ignore the civilians either. In the end, the commons would win, simply because their need was greater, and Kumo-nin could live without the money.

He had decided that the man wanted them to assassinate this family, while leaving his own hands clean. He didn't quite know who the murders was going to be attributed too though.

However, the Raikage was sadly mistake if he believed that Itachi was going to fall for that one, especially considering the job. So he said respectfully, "How do I know that you are not trying to get us arrested, Raikage-sama?"

He would show a small sign of trust. By admitting they were there for something as illegal as to get them arrested, but not specifying what, it would show they were willing. And reminding him of his station would hopefully invoke some sort or honor.

The man hummed, he lips quirking into a clever smile. "Very clever of you, Leader-san."

He bowed again, though it was smaller than the first one. "Thank you."

His large hands slapped the desk, and it almost made him jump at the sharp sound. "Ahaha! Very well, I believe it's you. My job is simple, though it requires quite a bit of stealth. There is a mob family that has taken residence on Kumo, and they need to permanently leave."

Itachi grumbled silently. It was just like he had thought.

"You would like us to assassinate this family, after sneaking past your shinobi, so you can claim that you had no involvement in it. Who is going to take credit for the murders?"

"Quite correct," the man said with a laugh, smoothing his bits of mustache. "There is a young man that I would like you to leave alive. He is close with my brother, and while he doesn't want to run the family, he is a good candidate. As for the credit…we'll leave it out in the open."

Itachi didn't bother arguing that last bit. The common folk couldn't afford Kariudo, so credit would end up being given to another mob family, most likely. "You have a picture of this teenager, I presume?"

Itachi took the offered picture in a gloved hand, and held it up so his two silent teammates could see it as well. After a few second, he knew they had it memorized – Kisame had photographic memory like Itachi, and he was sure Jiraiya was close to it – and handed it back.

"We will complete this job, but I do need to tell you that if your shinobi get in the way, we will allow you to dock our pay for any deaths that may occur. It should not happen, but it is something that you need to keep in mind."

The Raikage was on the verge of saying something when the doors behind them flew open, causing the three men to spin around, kunai already in hand.

"You would protect me?" the Raikage asked, amused.

"Yes sir. You are our employer, and if you die, then we do not get paid," Itachi said coldly, examining this new man in front of them. He knew who he was, of course.

Every member of Akatsuki knew the Host of Hachibi.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"**Bee, those are the ones I was telling you about!"**

Killer Bee was silent for once in his life, letting his hidden eyes flick over the three, completely covered men in front of him.

"**Those aren't the same guys Hachi,"** he responded, and the Bijuu snorted.

"**No no, I know that. But they've been in close contact with my two siblings. They'll know where Shukaku and the Kyuubi are! I can meet them again!"**

"**Hachi, I can't say anything right now."**

"**Well then ask them later!"**

"**When later!"**

"**Uh…"**

"**Exactly my point."**

"**Well write them a letter of something. I want to see my siblings damnit!"**

"**Geez, calm down. I'll find a way to talk to them. Meanwhile…"**

"So this is Kariudo," he murmured to himself out loud, soft enough that they couldn't hear.

"Bee! You just get back from your mission?" his brother said loudly, and with a big grin, he walked over and clasped the hand that was equally as big as his. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as all three smoothly relaxed, stepping away from the desk and resuming their previous positions.

"Hell yea! It went as slick as ice/Those boys didn't play nice," he sniggered as A laughed.

"Ah well, that's nice to hear. These boys here are going to take care of our problem with that mob family."

He just nodded, glad that they couldn't see how his eyes sharpened with interest. There was no way that these 'boys' were as young as his brother thought they were. He only had an advantage because of Hachi, and the fact that the ox was very good at reading others through their chakra.

The one in front was young, early 20's, definitely male, his chakra potential vast, yet not quite mature. He's a force to be reckoned with, and would only get stronger as he got older.

The two behind…the one on the left was older, late 20's early 30's, and confident in his power. Hachi growled softly in his mind. The two in the back had _a lot_ of power. Enough to easily rival him in his one, or even two tailed state.

Especially the one on the right. His power was very mature, speaking of a shinobi who had been in active duty his entire life, who knew he had a lot of power, and knew exactly what to do with it. At least 40. It was the same sense that he got off his brother.

"…we require half now, Raikage-sama," the young one in front said, and his brother scoffed, before throwing them a scroll. He must have missed out on part of the conversation while he was contemplating the men in front of him.

Then, with a bow, all three of them vanished in puffs of chakra smoke.

"What do you think?" A asked, and Bee turned to his brother, dropping all pretenses.

"They are older then what I thought they would be," he said carefully, Hachi muttering to him to not reveal that they probably weren't the original Kariudo. He had read the reports from the Hokage and Tsuchikage, and they had both described the members as being young, probably no older than 20. Then again…the leader might be part of the original, and maybe the two were new?

Somehow, he thought that unlikely. He was pretty sure this was an entirely new group.

"Well, as long as they do the job and do it right, then I'm not concerned," A said with a dismissive wave. Standing, his bear of a brother stretched, and threw a beefy arm over his shoulder. "Let's go get some breakfast, neh? And you can give me the mission report."

"Sounds good bro!" he said, all the while his mind was turning. Now that Hachi had gotten a taste of them, he would be able to find the three whenever he wanted. Even as he walked and talked, his mind churned, plans being made and discarded just as quick.

He would find them later tonight. He finally concluded that the best way to earn their trust was to approach them directly.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"This is stupid," Kisame grumbled, crossing his arms and nearly pouting.

"Regardless of whether it's stupid or not, we need to go through with it. The gaki is right. We need the money," Jiraiya said with a shrug, and downed his third or fourth glass of saké.

Itachi was silent, going over plans in his head. It was later that night, and the three were sitting in a bar, under henges. It had been unanimously voted that he would take this mission alone, since he won in the stealth category hands down.

He had spend the remainder of the day watching the family, listening in on their conversations. Already he knew that he would have no problems. They were a small group, seven adults, two teenagers, and three children younger than 5. Kisame and Jiraiya were coming for the simple fact to get the kids, and get them out of there. They would be dropped at an orphanage that was personally funded by Jiraiya, and they were already expecting them.

He could have kissed Naruto's feet when the blond had said that children were not to be touched. He had gotten quite tired of killing kids during his time in ANBU.

"So," Jiraiya said, looking at him. "When are–"

He stopped, and they all felt it. A shiver up their spines, the same feeling they got when someone looked at them, studying them. Jiraiya's eyes widened when he looked at the door, and Itachi had a bad feeling in his gut.

It was confirmed when Killer Bee sat down across from him, between Kisame and Jiraiya. Everyone was silent, waiting for the other to speak, and eventually Bee was the one who broke it first.

"Alright, alright, damn," he said with a laugh. "I can track chakra, with the help of Hachi here." He rubbed his chest and gave them all blinding grins. It was almost scary how much this man resembled Naruto with his attitude.

"I'm gonna be quick. I know that you're not the original Kariudo, because the original is Naruto, Gaara, and Sasuke."

He didn't tense as all three of them did, leaning back against the chair with his arms crossed. Itachi studied him closely.

"Does your brother know that?"

"Nope. I wouldn't betray my fellow Hosts. We're a small group now, and we need to stick together!" He laughed and yelled across the bar for another round for him and his new friends.

The waiter appeared, and smiled, though it was a little strained. "Here ya go, Bee-sama."

"Many thanks man!"

The waiter left, and Bee watched him go, sighing slightly. Itachi was hit once again by the similarities to Naruto. He had no doubt that if he was able to see Bee's eyes, they would have that same melancholy air that the blue could hold when confronted with people who weren't entirely comfortable being around a Host.

After a round for all of them, Bee smacked his lips in pleasure, and sat back. "Alright, this is how it is. The only thing I want is to meet them. Not as Kariudo, but as themselves. Well, more along the lines of Hachi wanting to meet them. He wants to see his siblings again."

"You can send your request through the man we have here," Itachi said quietly. Bee nodded and stood, yawning hugely.

"Alright then! I'm off to get sleep/Haven't in a week!" he rhymed, and laughing, he nearly bounced out of the bar, spouting lyrics as he went. It was an eerie change from the man they had spoken to, but there was another point in his similarities to the blond.

"Does he remind…?" Kisame said, sounding dazed.

"Yes, he does," Itachi said coldly, and the other two took the hint, shutting up.

That whole meeting had been…creepy.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Itachi was a silent predator, no sound coming from the skin tight black clothing, or the formed leather shoes on his feet. He crouched down on the roof, watching with Sharingan activated as the shinobi the family had hired moved below him. He would have to warn the Raikage about his men. They should have had the roof guarded, or at least watched. However, even trained shinobi were men, and men often didn't see the danger come from above.

Landing on his toes with bent feet as the guards passed each other, both their backs turned, he stealthily slipped into an open window. He only had a moment to see the wide, shocked black eyes that looked at him from the candlelit desk, and the man was dead. His head froze for a moment, and Itachi could see the life leave his eyes. They went dull, emptying of the person he used to be. Then it – no longer he – hit the wood with a soft thump.

Itachi only paused long enough to take his kunai back from the skull. Absently cleaning it, he proceeded through the house. He was an assassin surely, and also a mercenary now. This was not the time or place to think about the person he just killed.

It was time to follow orders.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Jiraiya had left the orphanage the same way he got there; through the window. The three kids were knocked out on beds, right where the staff expected them to be in the morning.

He may be taking their families away, but he could deal with their hatred on the chance that they would have a better life.

Sighing and closing his eyes, he took a long draught of warm saké, relaxing into the hot spring. Itachi had said that he was done and they had gotten done with the Raikage almost an hour ago. Itachi had wanted something to eat, so he had gone to get food with the promise that he would join Jiraiya afterwards. Kisame was already sound asleep back in his room.

Humming a slow, deep tune, he absently rubbed the odd scar that decorated almost the entirety of his chest. It looked like a large hand with large claws had had tried to grab his heart. Actually, that's what _had_ happened. He and the Kyuubi's physical form had been sparring while Naruto watched, and things had gotten very carried away. It had destroyed the south eastern corner of the island in fact. If the boys and Itachi hadn't thrown up a barrier, it may have even broken apart the very earth.

The blistering tirade from Naruto about the utter stupidity of their actions, and the snickering amusement from everyone else had probably been the worse. It only made him feel slightly better that Naruto refused to let the Kyuubi return until he was done.

He blinked as he realized there was a higher voice – tenor, not bass – humming the counterpart to his song, and he watched unabashedly as Itachi stepped utterly naked into the spring. He was fluid as always, and gracefully he sank to him neck, still humming. A small smile was on his face, eyes closed, and Jiraiya continued the song as he continued to watch the slender man.

This was the first time seeing Itachi completely naked, and he could definitely appreciate the view. He was a sensualist, and for him, it didn't matter what gender or age. Well, as long as they were legal.

His biggest turn on was seeing the eyes glaze with pleasure that he was giving them, hearing the soft noises that couldn't be held back because of his touch. Feeling their skin and muscle move against his, and the sweat of exertion a slick sheen on their skin.

He poured himself another glass, the song blending together into the final verse, and he sipped the warm liquor while watching Itachi with lidded eyes over the rim.

There was a slight flush to his ivory cheeks from the water, and he was relaxed in a way that Jiraiya had rarely seen him. Images flashed through his mind, making his groin stir in interest.

_His lips, teasing the strong expanse of Itachi's inner thigh, the man spread out on his back at the edge, staring down at him with heavy black eyes. Jiraiya on the edge, and Itachi beautiful and wild above him, head thrown back, hands tight on the broad chest underneath as he rode. In the spring, Itachi straddling him but back to front, riding him slowly, back muscles tense under the velvet skin…_

His mouth went dry just as the song ended. That last one…that had been entertaining. It also fit the Uchiha better than the other ones. The refined elegance, the dignity in which he moved…oh yes, that one fit _much_ better.

He blinked, stunned for a moment when charcoal eyes opened slightly, lazy pleasure in them. He took a small sip of his drink to wet his mouth, and then a deeper one. When he judged himself ready, he opened his mouth, not caring if he was going to be damned for this or not.

That image was proving to tempting be ignored.

"Itachi, can I be blunt with you?" he said quietly, sliding farther down on the wide stone ledge he was on. Itachi's eyes opened a bit more, lighting with interest.

"I suppose."

Jiraiya gave him a slow, sensual smile, and the interest sharpened, adding a dose of curiosity. "How do you feel about casual sex?"

Itachi's head cocked to the side, but Jiraiya continued to simply look at him and sip his drink.

After a moment of contemplation, Itachi closed his eyes again and leaned back against the wall, and Jiraiya could have sworn there was an almost challenging tilt to his small smile.

"I have engaged in it from time to time," he said quietly, but this time, Jiraiya could read the true interest and amusement in the slow voice.

His smile spread a bit more, and he filled his cup back up. "Would you like to again? Drink?" His smile turned slightly cocky when Itachi's eyes opened at the first question, narrowing at the second. Nodding, he reached a hand out, and Jiraiya's smile turned into a full blown smirk.

"You can come over here and get it, can't you?" he drawled, a bit surprised when Itachi only smirked back, and swam slowly over. He was even more surprised when the man straddled his thighs, the move elegant and with a hand on his chest. Without breaking eye contact, he took the cup.

"I assume that this is what you wanted?" Itachi asked, chuckling darkly when Jiraiya grabbed his hips and pulled them closer, merely adjusting his balance to compensate.

"It'll do for now," Jiraiya nearly purred, watching as Itachi let his eyes slide closed, tilting his head back to drink the warm liquid. Once again the Sannin's mouth went dry. Even the slow bobbing of his throat was graceful…this was insane! The only other people who he had seen this…sophisticated in everything they did, were trained courtesans. He knew there was no way that Itachi had been…

He blinked. "Itachi."

The man opened his eyes, and Jiraiya nearly whined at the cocked eyebrow, the sensual haze covering the dark irises still tinged with amusement.

"Were you trained in seduction?" he asked bluntly, and for the second time in a night, he was rewarded as Itachi blinked, shocked at the question. Then it was his turn, as Itachi's pouty lips tilted at the edges, then curved into a full blown grin.

"Mmm, I was. It was something I asked for, actually." He let Jiraiya process this as he refilled the cup, taking a sip and letting the delicious liquid roll across his taste buds, mentally smirking when Jiraiya twitched slightly at his low moan of pleasure.

Swallowing it, he continued. "No matter what harsh training I went through, or how they tried to mold me, it was something that they could not get rid of. My first solo mission at 9 was an assassination. I was required to seduce the man, since he was a pedophile and I fit his description. He wasn't a rapist, surprisingly enough." He took another sip, shrugging at the slightly apologetic look in the grey eyes looking at him. "He…awakened me, I suppose one could say. He was very careful and gentle, and made sure I was enjoying it as much as he was. I almost felt bad when I slit his throat while he was sleeping."

Jiraiya sighed and let his emotion of regret go. Itachi obviously didn't mind, if the look of melancholy remembrance in his eyes were any indication. He raised his large hands, and began to softly massage Itachi's lower back, smiling when the man relaxed into the feeling.

"What happened after?" he asked, honestly curious. Itachi was an enigma, and always had been.

"Mmm…they refused. Told me I was too young to learn techniques such as that. So I commenced to learn myself. I am much like you, Jiraiya-sama." The Sannin grinned slightly at the title, and he knew Itachi saw when the man smirked. "I enjoy giving and receiving pleasure. It is a…weakness of mine."

Jiraiya's eyes slid closed of their own violation when Itachi leaned forward, pressing their chests together and brushing his lips over the shell of an ear. He heard the faint clink of the cup as it was set back down.

"I love seeing my partners face go slack with pleasure," he whispered, and Jiraiya shivered, not bothering to try and hide how the sultry words were effecting him. "Feeling their fingers dig into my flesh as I bring them to orgasm…"

He laughed quietly, nothing more than a deep purr over Jiraiya's ear, and his back arched slightly, currents of pleasure lighting his nerve endings.

"Mmm…" Jiraiya hummed, slitting his eyes open when Itachi leaned back, so they could look at each other. "We are much the same then."

"Then you should move to the right a bit more."

Jiraiya did as asked, since the ledge was a bit broader there, and the water barely touched the tops of his thighs. Then Itachi stood, and Jiraiya licked his lips. Water rolled down every curve and dip, and he watched them as though he was a starving man and was seeing a banquet.

"Like what you see, Jiraiya?" Itachi purred, and utterly confident in his hard, naked glory, he snagged the bottle of saké and the cup, straddling his muscular thighs once more except now he was facing forward. Jiraiya hummed softly in his throat as his erection was pressed snugly between Itachi's ass cheeks, watching through lidded eyes as the lithe back arched, the younger man drinking the new liquid he had poured himself. He massaged his thumbs gently into the soft indents above the swell of the small, muscled ass, smirking a bit when Itachi's back arched a little more, a deep rumble of a purr echoing in his chest.

"You know," he said softly, letting his eyes wander up the taunt muscles of the Uchiha's back, the long, wet hair that was stark against the pale skin. "We have no lube."

Itachi smirked at him over his shoulder, and Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in question at the amusement.

"I prefer it without. Better sensation." He made a thoughtful hum and shifted his hips sinuously, causing the older man to hiss in pleasure, eyes half lidded as he watched the play of muscle. "However, there is some with my clothing if you would like me to get it."

Jiraiya's hands tightened on Itachi's hips involuntarily as he made to rise, holding him in place while the smaller man breathed a chuckle of delight. "That thought appeals to you then, Jiraiya?"

"Mmm…it's not obvious?" he hummed, and pulled Itachi back so he was pressed against his chest, ignoring the way the edge of the pool dug into his ribs. Quickly take the bottle and cup, he set them down on the ledge, and returned his attention to the minx in his lap.

He splayed his large hands around the slender waist, beginning to purr again when those dangerous, soft hands rested lightly on his forearms. He knew an invitation when he saw one, and ghosted his fingers over the straining arousal, making Itachi gasp softly, hips shifting, trying to follow his fingers.

Smirking a bit, Jiraiya trailed his fingers over the defined abs, marveling at the sleek predator he had in his grasp. He moved up, teasing every indent and scar he could find, wondering how many different sounds he could elicit. Itachi made such delightful noises, especially when Jiraiya began to rub slow circles on his nipples, a soft, gasping moan accompanying the tightening of fingers on the tanned skin of his arms.

"Jiraiya…" Itachi whispered, and the last syllable turned into a strangled gasp as Jiraiya grasped the straining erection, pumping it slowly as he continued to alternate between nipples.

"Yes, Itachi?" he purred into the man's ear, the soft, mewling cries making his cock twitch. His hands faltered as his eyes fluttered closed when Itachi turned his head, back arching a little more so he could bite down on Jiraiya's neck.

"I do not want to wait anymore, Jiraiya-sama," he whispered between licks of the reddening flesh of his bite.

"A-agreed," Jiraiya gasped out, barely able to have a coherent thought as hips rolled against his, soft cries and gasps continuously spilling from Itachi's lips. If anything, those were what was turning him on more. Itachi, while mostly having lost his cold exterior, still hardly ever spoke.

Itachi leaned forward, and before Jiraiya could even get fingers to his lips for some sort of liquid besides water, the younger man was already positioned and rocking down.

"I-Itachi…wait, you'll…" His words trailed off into a low groan, eyes rolling back as the head of his cock slipped into the tight heat. It was almost painful, but he savored the slow burn of entry. He was entranced by the way Itachi's head was thrown back, pants and moans erupting from the moist, parted lips. There was a steadily crawling blush making its way down from the cheeks, spreading across the pale, svelte chest.

He felt the head slip past the tight ring of muscle, and then Itachi's body suddenly relaxed as he slipped the rest of the way in. It pulled a strangled groan and curse from him, to be suddenly encased in the blistering heat and he knew that Itachi's hips would sport some impressive bruises from his hands.

"Are you alright, Jiraiya-sama?"

Itachi's breathless, amused voice brought him from the contemplation of the pulsing warmth around him, and he nearly froze when he met the gently whirling, crimson eyes behind a wet veil of black hair.

Strangely it didn't cause any fighting instincts to rise, because somehow he knew instantly what Itachi was doing. Smirking a bit, he shifted his hips experimentally, bringing a gasp from those pink lips.

"Recording everything, Itachi?" he purred, shifting his balance so he could start sliding slowly in and out. Itachi merely hissed and nodded, leaning forward so his hands were on Jiraiya's thighs. Itachi took over then, and Jiraiya was content to sit and purr as he ran his fingertips up and down the rippling back.

"You are beautiful, Itachi," he murmured, and he was. The pearly skin, most with water vapor and sweat, those deadly, well trained muscles shifting above him. The way his hair looked like trails of ink over the pale skin, flashes of red over his shoulder.

The younger man gave a soft, breathless gasp that trailed into a quiet moan, and then smirked. "Thank…you, Jiraiya…"

Jiraiya blinked when Itachi shifted again, stilling for a moment as he leaned back, burying slender hands in his thick white hair, and began to press kisses and bites along his jaw and neck.

"Take me how you will, Jiraiya-sama," Itachi purred darkly, and Jiraiya groaned deeply, shifting his lower body a bit so he could plant his feet. He brought the smaller man with him as he moved up some, so they were in more of a sitting position, and with the ledge digging painfully into his back, he started a smooth, hard rhythm. He forced Itachi's hips down to meet his every thrust, and it wasn't long before those quiet cries were replaced by needier, louder moans.

"Ah…hell, Jiraiya…shit, good…"

The swear words went straight to his groin, and his hips started thrusting harder and faster, wanting more of those delicious sounds.

"I want…you to scream…for me…Itachi…" he hissed between groans, and with a particularly hard thrust, he sort of got what he wanted. Itachi let out a loud, hissing yelp, his hands tightening almost painfully in his white hair.

"More…fuck, please, more…"

"Ah hell Itachi…" Jiraiya gasped, wondering how long it would take the smaller man to realize one of his biggest weaknesses: dirty talk.

"Fuck me Jiraiya-sama…harder!..."

Apparently not long, if the small smirk he could see was any evidence. If he hadn't left bruises before, he did now as he grabbed the lithe hips harshly, and began to thrust as fast and hard as he could in his position. Itachi moaned loudly, his body undulating along with Jiraiya's, meeting it stroke for stroke. Letting go of one hip, he wrapped a large hand around the neglected, pulsing erection of Itachi's.

"Shit! Fuck Jiraiya! Fuck…oh shit…"

Smirking, Jiraiya kept up the brutal rhythm, panting as that delicious warmth of impending orgasm began to coil in his body.

"Come for me Itachi," he hissed in the shell of a pale ear, and the helpless, unrestrained moan he was rewarded with only made him tighten his grip, hips and hand moving faster.

"Yes…yes…oh fuck, YES!" Itachi screamed the last word to the open sky, body clenching like a vice around Jiraiya, and he uttered a strangled moan, coming inside the pulsing, impossibly tight heat of Itachi's body as fluid coated his hand.

His hand lazily continued to stroke as they panted, riding out the last of their orgasms shivering waves. Itachi collapsed completely onto him, and Jiraiya took a deep, shaky breath, content to let his forehead rest on Itachi's shoulder, his hands soothingly running over the twitching muscles of the stomach.

He raised his head when he felt Itachi's head turn, and their lips connected for the first time.

It was slow and languid, their tongues exploring and sinuously sliding against one another. Humming low in his throat, Jiraiya could feel desire stirring inside him again, simply from the way it felt to have Itachi _feeding_ from his mouth.

He pulled back as he started to harden again, opening his eyes, and saw what had to be one of the most erotic sights.

Itachi, his face flushed, watching him through his lashes, the onyx of his eyes glittering with erotic intent.

"I am rarely satisfied with one round, Jiraiya-sama," he purred, and Jiraiya forced himself to keep meeting those eyes as they kissed again, shivers racking his spine from the intensity of it.

Pulling away once again, he smirked and shifted a bit. It elicited a soft gasp of pleasure from the swollen lips as his half hard member stroked Itachi's insides.

"As I said before, we are much the same, Itachi," he whispered, and began to nibble on the pale column of his throat, delighting in the purrs he received. "Shall we take this to a room then?"

"Ah…yes. Lets. I wonder if you can keep up with me," Itachi mused as he carefully stood, stretching as he looked down at Jiraiya.

"I'll make you eat your words," he replied, standing as well when Itachi climbed gingerly from the spring. He said nothing until Jiraiya was standing next to him, then gracefully knelt, licking a long line up his hardening erection. It made Jiraiya stagger slightly, his knees weakening as that talented tongue swirled around him. He blinked glazed eyes at Itachi as he stood, and took a few steps back, a challenging glint in the obsidian.

"That is not what I want to eat, Jiraiya-sama," he purred, and wrapped a robe around him, stopping at the door and looking over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

Hastily Jiraiya pulled on his own robe, and followed after the slender man like a lost puppy, a goofy smirk on his face.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary: **"**Brat, if you take over Kiri…"** Kyuubi said thoughtfully, and Naruto froze as possibilities began to race through his head.

**Theme: This Is War - 30 Seconds To Mars**

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Naruto meditated silently on the roof of the inn they were staying at in Iwa, sorting the information he was receiving into the proper places.

It was from Konoha, and the majority of it was personal information. There were a few jobs for Kariudo, but they were simple. Nothing more than guarding various shipment. It was getting more and more frequent for civilian business's to ask for them, especially when traveling the longer distances.

Even in his meditation a slight frown creased his brow. A random thought had occurred to him. Maybe, if this village thing really did get off the ground, some of the kids that were there could be part of Kariudo. Take the simpler jobs and such. It would leave them along with Jiraiya's team the ability to take the more dangerous ones.

He opened his eyes slowly, ignoring the blood that was freely running from his nose, eyes and ears. It was such a common occurrence at this point that he didn't even feel it anymore.

A mental smack from Red got a shocked yelp out of him, and he rubbed his forehead, scowling.

"**Damnit Red! What the hell was that for?" **he yelled to his resident angrily.

"**If you don't get rid of at least one sealed clone, then I am going to do it for you,"** Kyuubi growled at him, and Naruto knew from the tone of voice that he didn't have a choice.

"**But…which one?"** he asked, mentally going through which clone he had where.

"**Stop the one trying to get into Ame. It's not going to work Naruto, and you know it."**

Sighing, Naruto resumed his meditation, knowing that the kitsune was right. His sealed clone had been circling and circling Ame for almost a year now, trying to get in. If it even set foot in there, the chakra that was embedded in the rain identified it as a clone immediately. There had been several close calls already with the shinobi from the secretive Village.

After contacting it mind to mind, he dismissed the clone, both he and the Kyuubi hissing as the information from the clone flooded his brain.

_Running fast and hard, escaping the guards – foraging in the woods – meeting travelers on the road – hiding in caravans – frustration – anger – nothing works – no chance to get in – chakra in the rain, hearing about the Angel, whoever that was – people claiming Ame had a God as their Kage – never see them – mystery – _

Naruto sighed and rubbed his forehead, and he could admit that he did feel a little bit better. Kyuu gave him a hum of approval, and a wry smile made its way out despite the migraine pulsing in his head. It was soothed with a soft burn of chakra, and he gave silent thanks to the demon.

However, now that he had agreed with the Kyuubi's demand, and he wasn't tired at all, all he had now was time. And it gave free reign to his thoughts, which immediately turned into reminiscing.

"**Kyuu…is it strange that I miss Konoha?"**

"**No, not really. Though I think you miss the people more than the Village itself."**

Naruto snorted. **"I can agree with that."**

"**After this job, why don't you three go back for a visit? Tsunade did tell your clone that she wanted to meet with you three. So does Temari."**

Naruto smiled slightly and opened his eyes, looking up at the waning crescent moon. He could feel the restless chakra that was Sasuke moving around in their room, and knew it would only be a matter of time before his dark haired lover found him on the roof. It gave him a few moments to collect his thoughts and feelings, wondering if either of the other two even wanted to go back to their Village's. Even if it was just for a visit. Sasuke's chakra was coming closer and he looked over his shoulder, giving his love a bigger smile when he sat down behind him.

"Hey," he whispered, and Sasuke smiled back, scooting forward until Naruto's back was flush against his chest. Relaxing as the pale arms wrapped around his shoulders, Naruto closed his eyes and let his head rest against the form behind him.

Sasuke sighed and Naruto cocked one eye open, watching as Sasuke whispered a small water jutsu. Naruto was about to open his mouth to ask what for, when a cold rag was pressed to his face, gently wiping away the blood that had begun to dry there.

"I hate it when I see you like this," Sasuke whispered back, scowling. Naruto shrugged, letting more of his weight be propped up by Sasuke, the Uchiha easily supporting him. It always surprised him at how strong Sasuke truly was, when he didn't look that big. So many thought that Naruto was the powerhouse of their group, and while it was true, it wasn't at the same time.

Both Sasuke and Gaara could do as much damage as Naruto could, though with less chakra. Naruto could throw around high powered jutsu like it was nothing, but the other two could do just as much damage with less wasted chakra, simply because of their control.

Naruto sighed quietly as the cloth moved over his face. Sometimes he hated the fact that he would never have the control they did, but only sometimes. He had a nearly limitless supply of chakra at his disposal, and for him that evened the odds.

They were both silent as Sasuke finished, his other hand idly playing with Naruto's.

"Neh, Sasuke…" Naruto paused, staring up at the sky. News from Konoha had gotten him thinking, and he had begun to wonder about what they had set in motion. "You know what will happen with the news we gave to them about Madara."

Sasuke froze, and Naruto waited patiently. Finally, he spoke hesitantly. "We will go to war. Madara has Akatsuki, and from what Itachi said, we probably won't get anyone else to our side."

"Yea, I was thinking about that," Naruto muttered. "I planned on just killing the others. The quicker we get Madara by himself, the-"

"Hey! What are you two doing up here?"

Their eyes snapped to the right, and standing on their rooftop no less than ten feet from them, was Iwa's equivalent to ANBU. It didn't surprise them that they didn't feel him sneak up on them as that information passed through their minds.

They were moving with deadly grace when the man started in surprise at fully seeing their faces. Which meant he recognized them. Which wasn't allowed.

They only made it to the adjoining roof when Naruto caught him, wrapping his arms and legs around the person, keeping the arms pinned to his side. Sasuke grabbed them both, and transported them into their room.

It took less than a second.

"Interrogation," Naruto snapped as soon as they appeared, and Gaara wasted no time in flying around the room, ink splattering everywhere. In moments the seals were activated, and Naruto let go of the struggling man.

He didn't have much of a chance however, because Sasuke trussed him up with his wrists tied to his thighs, ankles together. The ankles were then tied by a long rope to his neck, making it impossible to move unless he wanted to choke himself. Which they would prevent, if it came down to it.

Naruto crouched down in front of the man, ripping off the cloth that covered his face. It revealed a man in his late twenties, clean shaven and rugged. "How did you know who we were?"

He then felt a tingle on his mind that signaled the opening of their connection, and he touched the inside of his wrist.

_He knew who you were?_ Gaara asked, and Sasuke nodded affirmation since Naruto was still staring intensely into the wide black eyes of their prisoner. _Doesn't that mean that we're probably in a Bingo book?_

The other two started at that, and Naruto immediately began to search the man.

"H-hey! What are you doing?"

"Shut the hell up," Naruto snarled, drawing forth just enough of Kyuubi's chakra to lengthen his canines, make his eyes turn red, and sharpen his nails into claws. He tore through the man's clothes, ignoring the struggles. Finally in the third pouch he ripped open, he found what he was looking for. Straightening, he flipped through it rapidly, stopping when he found what he was looking for.

His face went slightly pale as he stared down at the pages.

_It was Kiri. They…they know about our connection with the island. They even have some of our moves! When the hell…?_

_Naruto, calm down,_ Sasuke muttered and walked over, taking the book. He scanned through it as Naruto glared down at their prisoner, clawed fingers twitching.

They had spent so much time and effort into trying to keep their real selves hidden, even going so far as to use henges when they went anywhere. And somehow, someway, they had been found in the very place that they should have been safe.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He remembered Itachi saying that Madara had connections with Kiri, that the last Mizukage had been put under a genjutsu with the eldest Uchiha the true master. There was no reason for him to think that this new woman was any different.

It would also explain why Kiri was so pissed at them for taking over the island, even though the Mizukage had known about people on the island for months and hadn't done anything. Someone must have found out that they were there, and reported it back to Madara. The bastard was most likely using their occupation of the island as a reason to get to him and Gaara.

Now their names and location were in Iwa's Bingo book, with the reward for their heads payable by Kiri. And it was a good amount of money. Oh, and he couldn't forget the 'kill on sight' order that went with it. The Mizukage wasn't taking any chances.

With all of their information out in the world now, he came to only one conclusion.

There was no reason for them to hide anymore, except for Kariudo. It was time to put all their training to use, and give a big 'fuck you' to Madara and anyone else who thought they could be controlled.

"You know what? Fuck this," Naruto growled out, and kicked the guy so hard in his head that his eyes rolled backwards, out cold. He whipped around and faced his companions, Sasori having come into the room sometime while he was thinking.

"I'm done with hiding. If they want to know who it is that's ruling our village, then they can fucking know. I would rather people know who they're dicking around with then to guess. There's no point in us hiding anymore anyway. It's time that people understood that we can't be controlled, and we have nothing to fear."

"And that they should be fearing us. That's a good point," Gaara said quietly, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "Do you suppose Madara is behind this with Kiri?"

Naruto shrugged, but it was Sasuke that answered. "There's no reason to think that he's not." _Itachi did say that they were connected._

"**Brat, if you take over Kiri…"** Kyuubi said thoughtfully, and Naruto froze as possibilities began to race through his head.

_If we took over Kiri, we wouldn't have to worry about them. But it would end up being a complete slaughter, because we wouldn't know who to trust. And we would be __**very**__ public then…_ His thoughts ran around, and he could tell Gaara and Sasuke could hear them because of the frown on both their faces.

He began to pace. _We'd have the resources of an established Village when war comes, because we know it's going to. No one would be able to force us back to our Villages, but all the paperwork! The rules would have to change to, and the environment. There is no way in hell I would live there with that mist! To dark and dreary, and- _

He was floored mid thought by an urgent hammering in his brain and he immediately sat down, assuming his meditation position. Opening his mind, he was flooded with barely leashed panic.

"_Boss, we got problems,"_ his sealed clone at the island said, voice outwardly calm.

"_What happened?"_

"_We got Kiri boats on their way here, about four hours out."_

"_Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck…ok, have Sayomi brew up a thunderstorm, as big as she can make it. Talk to the old people and have them take everyone 5 and under to the center of the island, as well as civilians. I know they know __**of**__ the island and its general location, but I don't think with the barrier that they'll be able to find it. Just in case, I need you to strengthen it. The key seal is embedded into a large, grey granite rock underneath the palm tree that hangs over the water, on the western side. Sit on it, meditate, and shove your chakra into it. Only start doing that when you can see the boats. Don't forget, Kiri-nin are masters at stealth killings, so it is imperative that they are not allowed to get onto the island. We'll be there as soon as we're able. Let me know when they get there, so I can start sending chakra."_

"_Gotcha boss."_

The connection died, and he was rapidly explaining what was happening as he slit his wrist, going through the motions for a blood clone. He ignored the way Sasori made a strangled noise at the appearance of the Kyuubi in full human nine tails mode, his eyes flashing crimson.

"What about him?"

Naruto glanced to where Gaara was pointing, and with a scowl, Naruto walked over and unsealed his fighting claws, cleanly cutting the man's head off. He held it by the hair, and looked at them with eyes a cold, hard sapphire.

"I'll toss the head once were far enough away from here. Let the animals have it." He only set it down long enough to throw on his cloak and henge – the others followed his example – and they were out the window, tearing for their island.

If Kiri wanted to destroy what was his to protect, then he would prove to them why the true Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune was not someone you wanted to fuck with.

The Kyuubi chuckled insidiously, and Sasori forced himself not to gulp as he saw the looks on four faces. There was an unholy, bloodthirsty light in their eyes, tempered only by the determination he saw to protect this island. He shuddered mentally as he wondered if Kiri fully understood exactly what it was they were unleashing.

**-x-x-x-x-**

The Mizukage stood at the prow of the lead boat, a scowl on her pretty face. She alternated between looking at the empty waters and down at the map in her hand, auburn hair whipping around her. The thunderstorm had come out of nowhere, which wasn't possible. So that meant it was created. It was trying to separate the boats, and a few of the ones on the edges had been thrown out into sea, but whoever created it forgot one vital point: they were Kiri-nin. They controlled the water.

"Mizukage-sama."

Terumi Mei glanced over her left shoulder, and smiled at the blue haired man who stood there. "Yes Ao?"

"I mean no disrespect, but we can find no evidence of this island. Are you sure it's here?"

Her smile dropped and she shoved the map in his face. "Do you see this here? This is where the island is supposed to be, and our scouts saw the island not two weeks ago. It's here! We just have to find it."

Ao gently pushed the map away, revealing none of his disturbing thoughts. He did not like the man that had insinuated himself into his Kage's life only a few months ago. Before, she had known of the island and what was going on there, but she had refused to do anything. Her claim had been that everyone deserved the right to be left alone if they wished it, as those on the island obviously did. Then that man had come into the picture, and she had rapidly changed her tune.

"Mizukage-sama, I must ask…why are we doing this? You said that they should be left alone…" He knew he was skating on thin ice by questioning her orders, but he served her out of respect and loyalty. Once she made up her mind about something, it was hard to get her to change it. He had thought her mind _was _made up about this…

She snorted, and turned back to the empty, roiling waters with a malicious glint in her pale green eyes. "Because they took over one of my islands without asking permission, and now they hope to build their own Hidden Village there. It was one thing when it was just a group of ragamuffin kids, but the scouts informed us that Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Subaku Gaara have taken up residence there. They are training those people as shinobi, and that is something that I cannot allow. We know from our history how badly having a Host as a leader turned out."

He opened his mouth again, but just then her lover walked up on her right side, and enfolded her in an embrace. The feared Mizukage actually _purred_ as she leaned back into his embrace, and Ao bowed his head just enough to indicate the proper respect.

"We cannot allow them to continue with this insubordination while they live in Kiri waters," the man said, his voice a smooth baritone. Mei nodded, her eyes flashing with fervor. The man continued, his one visible eye trained on Ao as his voice filled with dark satisfaction. "They offered no money, did not come visit you, and did not even ask your permission to begin this…mockery of a Village while in your waters. Kiri does not tolerate trespassers or squatters. We must show them the errors of their ways."

Face tight with anger, Ao bowed sharply and turned on his heel, striding away. He _hated_ that masked man. Even the plain black covering with the single eye hole got on his nerves. Mei was the only one to have ever seen him without the mask. At least, he believe that the man had taken it off while they were together. He'd be a pretty shitty lover if he hadn't.

Chojuro was sitting my himself on a bench about halfway down, and didn't even spare Ao a glance when the man sat down next to the Swordsman. The shy boy was looking at the Mizukage with lovesick eyes, that rapidly changed to hate when transferred to the masked man.

"I hate him…"

Ao nodded at the hissed words, silently agreeing. A debate began to rage in his mind. Whether to tell Chojuro his suspicions regarding the man, and the plan that was building in his mind to separate the two. The boys next words solved his problem for him.

"I wish there was a way to get rid of him," Chojuro muttered under his breath, and Ao smiled thinly.

"There might be," he muttered back, watching the happy couple at the bow with sharp eyes as Chojuro looked at him with a hopeful face.

"Tell me," he hissed, face tightening. "I swear on my honor as a Swordsman that I will do whatever it takes to free our Mizukage from his influence."

Ao took a deep breath, and glanced at the boy that had been his partner for a few years now. Chojuro had grown from the scared, shy, _powerful_ boy, into a teen that was respected for the honor and restraint he held. Chojuro was one of the Seven Swordsman for a reason.

"I think we should get a message to one of those boys, or someone on the island," he said under his breath, and Chojuro's eyes widened even more. Ao knew. What he was speaking of doing was a traitorous act, and the Mizukage could have them executed with no trial at all. Still, he had to find a way. "He's after those boys for a reason, and I can't help but think that they would know who he is." He paused, eyes narrowing. "And how to get rid of him."

Chojuro had just opened his mouth, when Mei called them both. As they stood, Chojuro caught his eye one last time. "I will find a way."

"That's all I can ask," he whispered back, and schooled his face into a blank mask.


	19. Chapter 19

**Theme: Scream For You - After Midnight Project**

**Summary: Madara yelled, "I know you can hear me Naruto-kun! Turn you and your companions in, and we will spare the wastes of life living on this island!"**

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They all stared at the army that was amassed on the water spread out in front of them. All of this, for a single island of 50 some people? If Madara was behind this, it made sense. If he wasn't…then there was no reason they could think of.

Kyuu looked down at the pale boy in his arms, and frowned. Naruto had gone into a deep meditative state a few hours ago, as they were crossing Fire. It had been without warning, but that was the exact reason why Kyuu was carrying his Host. Unfortunately, they were almost at their limit of 12 hours apart, and he could feel the strain on his chakra. They had two hours, and it should be just enough time to get them where they needed to be.

Sighing, he glanced at the boys around him. Sasuke had sent a sealed clone to Jiraiya and the others, but it wouldn't reach them for another day at least, then three for them to get back. As it was, their island was under siege. And Kyuu didn't like it.

He snarled slightly as he narrowed his eyes at the boats, the tips of his tails snapping in his anger. He was on the verge of opening his mouth, to say that they should just go down and kill everything, when Sasori spoke first.

"We should try diplomacy first, find out what they want."

All the scathing words were swallowed, and it was harsh going down.

"I agree," Gaara muttered, eyes intent on the scene before him. "We'd like to think we know what they want and their reasons, but we don't. Not until we talk to them."

"Then it's settled. Let us get to the island and start evacuating people, and then we'll talk. Naruto can hold the barrier for another few days."

"We can hold it longer than that, as long as we are together," Kyuu said quietly, and they all nodded. "Then we wait until nightfall, and go to the island."

It all went smoothly a few hours later as they swam under water to the island, Gaara having to touch Sasori to get him through. Kyuu scowled as soon as they were on the beach, and started to run to where the sealed clone was. He found the stone and immediately dispelled the clone, which forced Naruto to wake up.

Blinking blurry eyes, Naruto only had a glimpse of Kyuubi before he shimmered and returned, making Naruto hiss with the acid like burn going through his coils.

"**Quickly meat bag, before the barrier weakens anymore," **the Bijuu snarled, and Naruto instantly took the seat his clone had just vacated. Crossing his legs and taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and fell deep into himself as he steadily streamed chakra into the seal.

Instantly, he felt the difference. While he had been fueling the barrier, he hadn't actually been using the seal to do it. Now that he was, he could feel the systematic testing of it, which told him that Kiri knew that it was there. He was happy that Jiraiya had thought to sink the stones that had the proxy seals deep into the earth below the ocean.

He cracked an eye open when Sasuke appeared in front of him, and he took a moment to lightly brush the seal on his wrist. As the links opened, he got a mental view of what he looked like.

His face was a mask of calm, his slitted eyes nearly glowing with the amount of chakra that was flowing around him like wispy, blue fire. Yet close to his skin was a shimmer of red, a few pieces streaming off into the blue randomly.

He smirked, and he smirked back.

Keeping an internal eye on his chakra, he spoke. _So who is going to try to talk to the Mizukage?_

Sasuke blinked at him in surprise, and his smirk deepened somewhat.

_You heard what we were saying?_ He asked.

_Yep. So now that I have the hang of this seal thing, we can get down to business._

Sasuke sat, and it was he who spoke first. _I think it should be me, Itachi, and Jiraiya to go meet with her. If Madara is controlling the Mizukage, there is no reason to needlessly put either you or Gaara out there, unless absolutely needed. They already know the three of us are here, and probably Jiraiya, but…_ He smirked devilishly. _I don't think they know about Sasori, Itachi, and Kisame. It seems we even fooled the Akatsuki flawlessly. _

_Will Itachi be here on time?_ Naruto asked calmly. Sasuke nodded. The blond knew that Gaara and Sasori were watching over the evacuation, underwater on the northern side. Which was why one of them had to be there, since they were the only ones keyed into the barrier.

_My clone sent me the message right after we got here. They left immediately when I gave them word. They'll probably be here late afternoon on the day after next. _

_This idea better fucking work,_ he said somewhat viciously, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

_What do you mean, dobe?_

Naruto scoffed, and preened at the fact his control didn't waver in the slightest. Maybe all that fucking training was actually paying off. _Whatever teme. You'll be the first to find out when this blows up in our faces._

Sasuke actually blinked at the slightly bitter flavor. Naruto grumbled a bit and pouted. Sometimes he hated the whole emotional aspect of the damn seal. _It's nothing. I just don't get why people can't…just…_

_Leave us alone,_ Gaara said sadly. It caused Naruto's control to waver a moment, especially since the red head was miles away at the other end of the island.

Sasuke's smirk widened. _When did you join in?_

_A few minutes ago. It's slightly distracting, but I will deal with it. And do you really think we expect Kiri to actually listen to us Naruto? This is just to confirm a few theories. _

Naruto twitched as a blush spread faintly across his cheekbones. There was silence from the other two for a long moment, then, _Naruto, you actually thought it would work?_

Naruto scowled at Sasuke, his blush growing as his eyes twitched beneath their closed lids. _It's a valid argument!_

_Dobe…no its not._

_Teme, shut the hell up or an invasion will be the least of your problems._

Sasuke smirked wide enough to reveal fangs, eyelids lowering. _Really? _

It was a blatant purr, and the sexual undertones caused him to shiver, blush and scowl deepening. _Teme, stop it damnit!_

_Quit it, the both of you,_ Gaara snapped, and then Naruto felt it. Gaara was at the barrier with a group of people, but it was fluctuating slightly. His entire body flamed red as he quickly calmed himself, ignoring how both Sasuke and Kyuu were chuckling at him.

_Many thanks,_ Gaara muttered sarcastically, and Naruto made a face. He took a deep breath, then another…and shuddered when the group passed through it. It was one thing to go through it when it's at normal strength, but with his chakra boosting it, he felt every liquid swoosh of a body going through it.

It made his stomach churn uneasily, and something like an electric current danced over his skin. Then it was gone, and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

_Dobe? You alright?_

He nodded shortly, working on calming his stomach. He didn't remember that feeling when he had gotten his clones memories, and it should have happened when the five bodies had crossed the barrier.

_Teme, go help them. Gaara was able to get 9 across at one time, and if you help him, we can have everyone safe in 8 hours. _

Sasuke made to reach out to him, and stopped. _Are you sure, Naruto?_

Without looking, Naruto slowly held out his glowing hand, a smile on his face. _I'm sure, Sas-_

They both gasped as Sasuke's hand came in contact with his, and Sasuke's chakra started to fuel the barrier as well. Their hands tightened slightly on the other as they quickly got over the shock.

_Well that's interesting,_ Sasuke muttered, and Naruto grinned slightly. Then Sasuke twitched, a pained frown crossing his features. _What was that?_

_That was one of the Kiri nin testing the barrier. They know it's here, but they've been unable to break through. And you may want to-_

But it was too late. Gaara crossed back over the barrier, the same squelchy feeling overcame him, and he could feel the same effects in Sasuke. He quickly pulled back, and Naruto made a face.

_Sorry about that Sasuke. That's the feeling I get when someone crosses the barrier now. _

Sasuke shivered in sympathy. _Yea, the quicker we get everyone out, the less of that you'll have to feel. _Sasuke paused as he stood, then silently padded over to Naruto. He pressed a gentle kiss against the blonds lips, that he returned just as softly. _I'll be back._

_Then hurry your ass up so you'll get back quicker._

_Tch. Dobe._ With a smirk, he was gone.

Naruto sighed deeply, resigning himself to 8 hours of boredom and icky feelings.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto easily repressed a yawn, shifting just slightly to relieve the pressure on his lower back and ass. He'd been sitting here for four hours already, and the setting sun was warm on his back, filtering through the trees.

His brows knit together as he felt someone approaching the barrier directly in front of him. They held a chakra that was reminiscent of Sasuke's and Itachi's, but was darker, more malevolent.

"**Kyuu, who is this person?"**

He felt Kyuu swim closer to the surface, and the red film on his skin grew slightly. All at once, Kyuu snarled viciously.

"**That, is Uchiha Madara."**

Naruto stiffened, battle senses immediately on alert. **"Is he going to-"**

He couldn't even finish, because suddenly pain shot up his spine, causing him to hiss and dig his nails into his palm. It happened again, and this time Naruto could feel the barrage of chakra hitting the barrier. His jaw began to ache as he withstood the pulses of excruciating pain, blood beginning to drip from the crescent wounds his nails made in his palms.

It…it wouldn't stop! His back was on fire, his insides twisting painfully as jutsu after jutsu bombarded the dome. His temples were throbbing, and his eyes felt like if he opened them, they would just fall out. Yet the physical pain wasn't the worst part. It was the maniacal, insane rage that was pummeling his psyche. Madara was _pissed._

Then another group passed the barrier, and he gagged as bile rose in his throat. He was even more startled when a seething rage began to slid through him.

"**Fucking Madara," **Kyuu hissed, and Naruto whimpered at the new, acidic anger from his tenant. **"I hate him. He is the only one that can take away my will, the only one who can control me." **Naruto didn't notice it, but the red flowing around him was growing, swallowing the blue. **"Fucking Madara!"**

Naruto didn't even have a moment of warning before the Kyuubi's chakra exploded from him and went into the seal. The dome flared a brilliant, bloody red, and by sheer force of will Naruto kept consciousness through the burning pain. He cracked an eye open, and choked slightly when he saw the ocean boiling where it met the barrier. Vaguely, he also saw a dark figure some thirty feet from the barrier getting to their feet.

Kyuu was panting and hissing in his mind, and Naruto knew that the Bijuu was pacing around in the cage, his vile chakra a steady pulse into the barrier along with Naruto's own. Instead of clear, like it was supposed to be, the dome was now streaming with blue and red. He should have been pissed about that, since now it would be visible to anyone who looked, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

He had just closed his eyes to renew his calm, ignoring Kyuu, when a shiver went through him. It felt like someone had just ran their nails down his chest.

"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto didn't bother to open his eyes, but Kyuu snarling deepened. **"That's Madara."**

"**I know Kyuu,"** he muttered back sarcastically.

"I know you can hear me Naruto-kun! Turn you and your companions in, and we will spare the wastes of life living on this island!"

Now Naruto was snarling in a higher counterpoint to his Bijuu. Wanting – _needing_ – to retaliate, he delved deep into his mind, looking for any way that he could. Kyuu noticed what he was doing, and gave him the exact information he wanted.

Opening his eyes slightly, he smirked evilly and raised a hand slowly. Drawing both his own and Kyuu's chakra, he streamed it into the barrier and used his hand to direct it like a whip. He felt it connect and saw Madara go flying back once again, before retracting it instantly.

He expected Madara to react, though when the furious barrage of jutsu started, he was still slightly unprepared. Crying out, he bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. It was all he could do to keep his chakra steadily streaming into the seal, unable to stop the screaming of his muscles and bones. He wouldn't have even noticed Gaara coming closer to them unless Kyuu had pointed it out.

The red head stopped in front of them, and Naruto couldn't stop the whine of pure pain that came from him. Then Gaara touched him, and both Shukaku and Kyuu roared in victory.

Gaara collapsed onto him as his yellow chakra joined the dancing colors through the barrier, and just like Naruto, it flowed around him, with a purple haze covering just his skin.

He hugged his companion tightly as the Bijuu went on the offensive.

Madara was forced to twist and dodge as whip like tendrils shot out from the barrier, red and purple respectively. It was all they could do, but going by their laughter, it was more than enough for the two demons.

It was another half hour at least when they got tired of the game, and Kyuu snarled, making the water boil once again. Madara was forced back from the barrier, and he stayed there as the water died down, still steaming.

"Very well Naruto-kun," Madara yelled in a sickly happy tone. "I will just wait until your chakra runs out, then I will come fetch you, Gaara, and Sasuke. You deprived me of an Uchiha when you killed Itachi, so yours will just have to take his place."

The once steady waves of blue and yellow pulsed angrily for a moment, though Gaara and Naruto tried to keep it steady. The laugh from Madara told them they hadn't succeeded.

"I see you don't like that idea. Too bad, Naruto-kun. Maybe I'll take some of those sweet little girls that I saw. The one that creates thunderstorms would be _very_ useful to me…"

This time, the waves of their chakra went utterly still, no movement to them at all. Madara had put a definite sexual tone to the last words, and he must have realized how big of a mistake he made.

He jumped back just as the ocean exploded into a roiling boil, and Naruto and Gaara snarled along with their demons. This time there were no whips. There were hands reaching out to the eldest Uchiha, each one of them burning with potent hatred as they tried to grasp the swiftly moving man.

Finally, one of Kyuu's hands caught him, and the four entities on the beach howled in satisfaction as Madara yelled in pain. Kyuu's chakra hand threw him and then retracted. Now all four colors in the barrier were weaving with smug satisfaction.

Finally, the black dot that was Madara stood, and walked warily to the barrier. "I will give you this one, Naruto-kun," he hissed. "Just know that your chakra cannot hold indefinitely, and I _will_ get what I want."

All four of them let out a breath when he finally did go away, and the purple and red leaked from the barrier. Slowly, Gaara pulled away as well, and all that was left was the shimmering blue of Naruto's chakra.

_Well that was fun,_ Gaara mumbled through the link, rubbing his forehead.

Amusement bubbled in Naruto, but it was short lived as Sasuke took another group through the dome. On top of everything else, it was simply too much for his body to handle, and he leaned forward as his stomach rebelled.

Gaara cursed, and Naruto was glad he was there as his blond hair was held away from his face until he coughed and spit repeatedly. Ashen faced, he whimpered as Sasuke crossed back over, but there was nothing left in his stomach. That didn't stop his body from trying to get rid of it though.

"Water," he croaked after the last bout of dry heaving was done. Gaara pulled out a small canteen, and uncapping it, he let some flow into Naruto's mouth. Swishing it around, he spit it back out, and swallowed the next bit.

After a few more drinks his stomach felt a little better, and he took a deep breath. He cracked an eye open, and looked thankfully at Gaara.

_You can go back with Sasuke now. I'll be good._

Gaara looked at him skeptically. _Are you sure Naruto?_

_Yea yea, I'm sure. Besides, you need to tell Sasuke that we don't have to meet with them since we know for a fact that Madara is the one behind this._

_He may not be the one behind it,_ Gaara pointed out logically. _He could just be along for the ride. We still need to figure out what his connection is to the Mizukage._

Naruto sighed deeply. _Alright, then the meeting will go on as planned. Tell Sasuke to use one of his dogs to get a message to them asking for a meeting in three days time._

_Will do Kage-sama,_ Gaara answered with a grin, and Naruto gave him one – albeit smaller and wane – back. _This will turn out alright, Naruto._

Taking another deep breath, Naruto gave Gaara a true smile. _I know Gaara. Now go._

_Hai._

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke gave Gaara a considering look, before nodding. Making the hand seals and biting his thumb, he slammed his hand into the ground.

_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_

The seal spread out, and two poof's announced the two nin-dogs he had summoned.

Pakkun regarded him with dark, intelligent eyes, and behind him was Hikaru, the elder of his twin Dobermans.

The other five that he hadn't summoned were the youngest – except for Hikaru's brother Kaoru – since he had chosen them as puppies. Only a little more than 7 months old, they were already almost grown into their adult bodies, though he still had a lot more training to do with them.

The Dobermans though…he had only planned on picking 4, with Pakkun as the fifth of his pack, but after he did, he was sitting down in their dimension growing familiar with his new pups, when the two of them had walked up.

"We would like to serve you, Uchiha-sama," the one on the right had said.

"Allow us to become a part of your pack, as your personal guard dogs," the other had said. Sasuke and Pakkun had simply stared. Pakkun had told him the reason you picked the pack as puppies, was because the older nin-dogs refused to work with a human.

How could he say no? The sibling Dobermans were oddly colored, which he later found out was due to a genetic disorder in their breed. Instead of black and tan, they were black with white markings, and icy blue eyes. It also made them slightly larger than average.

Looking at them now, and seeing how Hikaru regarded him silently, he couldn't help but smirk with pride. He would be eternally grateful to Kakashi for allowing him to sign the nin-dog contract.

"What can I do for you Sasuke?" Pakkun asked, and the Uchiha sat on the ground, Gaara settling next to him. Hikaru came and put his large head in his lap, and Sasuke spoke while absently stroking the sleek, glossy black fur.

"Pakkun, I summoned you so you could tell Kakashi that we are besieged by Kiri, and we have a strong suspicion that the Mizukage is being controlled my Uchiha Madara."

"How about you tell him yourself?"

"But, wait-!"

It was too late. Pakkun poofed out, and Sasuke sighed.

**-x-x-x-x-**

_**In Konoha…**_

Tsunade stopped mid word as Kakashi's nin-dog Pakkun poofed into existence, bowing to her. "Sorry Hokage-sama. I need Kakashi somewhere else."

"Wha-"

That was all she managed to get out before Pakkun latched onto a still shocked Kakashi, and they both poofed away again. She stared at the slowly disappearing smoke, and shook her head.

_Those damn dogs are as crazy as their master…_

**-x-x-x-x-**

Sasuke summoned Pakkun once again when Hikaru's ears perked forward, and scowled when his former sensei appeared along with him. Kakashi held a hand to his face, and seemed to wobble a bit.

"How do you dogs not get sick when that happens?" The Jounin muttered, and blinked when he finally caught sight of Sasuke and Gaara. Sasuke smirked when he saw the man put the pieces together. Kakashi sighed and took a seat as well, putting his chin in a palm. "Alright. I guess you guys have something to tell me."

Sighing again in irritation, Sasuke told Kakashi everything. Almost everything. Well, at least everything that had to do with their current situation.

When he was done, Kakashi glanced to the softly glowing blue barrier, and was just able to make out the outline of the ships there. He looked back at the two young adults, and eye-smiled.

"Now, what do you want me to do exactly?"

Sasuke refused to roll his eyes, though he wanted to badly. "We don't expect you to do anything. We just wanted Konoha and Suna informed of what was going on. Jiraiya is on his way here, and as soon as he is, we will meet with the Mizukage. That will be when we can see her for ourselves, and figure out whether she's controlled or not."

Kakashi nodded, and stretched. "Well then, I guess I have a bit of a vacation for a few days."

Sasuke's and Gaara's jaw dropped. There was no way that Kakashi could stay until Jiraiya and the others came back. Not to mention the fact that Sasori was hiding away from the Konoha nin. "But…Kakashi-sensei…"

He blushed slightly when the title came out, and scowled when Kakashi leaned towards him, head cocked.

"Oh, what's this? You still think of me as your sensei?" the Jounin teased, and Sasuke's scowl deepened along with his blush.

"Of course not!" he retorted hotly.

"Maa maa. Well then, I'm off to go find Naruto." He waved and poofed before Sasuke could even open his mouth. Scowling, he glared at the amused Gaara, Hikaru, and Pakkun.

"Shut the hell up, all three of you," he grumbled, and ignored their laughter as he penned out the meeting request for Hikaru to take.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto's heartbeat had tripled when he felt Kakashi's chakra arrive on the island, and he wasn't surprised when about a half hour later he felt it coming towards him. By that time, he was able to calm his body and mind, and slowly opened his eyes when Kakashi stopped right in front of him.

"Long time no see Kakashi-sensei," he said with a smile, and the Jounin inclined his head, taking a seat.

"Hai Naruto. And I'm going to be here a few days, so I suggest you tell me why Sasuke doesn't want me to stay."

Naruto tilted his head to the side, watching Kakashi silently for a few moments. He weighed the pros and cons of telling him, and settled on letting the Jounin be surprised. Smirking, he closed his eyes again. "If you plan on staying, you'll see soon enough. However," he opened his eyes fully, and pinned Kakashi with a steely glare. "You are not to harm anyone you see on this island. It is a sanctuary. That includes any missing-nin that you see."

He had forgotten that Kakashi was a genius, and cursed mentally when the single grey eye widened, then curved into a smile. "Ah. So you did bring Itachi and Kisame here."

Naruto scowled, and it only deepened as the amusement on Kakashi's face grew. "Yea, and? Like I said, this is a refuge. They agreed to the rules of the village, and as long as you're here, you'll abide by them too."

"Hai hai, Kage-sama," Kakashi said with a flapping hand, and Naruto sighed, shaking his head. Kakashi would always be Kakashi. Something that he was grateful for, actually.

"Neh, Naruto. Let me try that."

The blond frowned, and looked down, then back up. "The seal?" Kakashi nodded, and Naruto shrugged. There wasn't any testing going on at the moment, seeing as how it was the middle of the night. That, and he was hungry. Yawning he stood, breaking the connection, and stepped down from it to a series of snaps and pops.

"All you do is pour chakra into it," he muttered while stretching, his arms above his head. Kakashi nodded and sat down, assuming the same position Naruto had. A moment later, the barrier flared a mix of electric blue and white.

Naruto gaped as it evened out into a softly glowing sheet of what looked like lightning, instead of his streamers of pulsing blue. He knew without even touching it that it was stronger then the one that he made, simply because it was more tightly woven then his. The only reason his worked was because he was just that powerful.

"I hate you Kakashi," he grumbled, and the Jounin laughed.

"It's all about control Naruto. Now, go get food and leave this to me for the time being."

Sighing, Naruto nodded. Kakashi was one of the few people he trusted completely from Konoha. "Hai Kakashi."

Naruto turned to leave, when Kakashi spoke again. "Oh, and Naruto…I will abide by your rules."

He smiled over his shoulder at the chakra encased man. "Thanks Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded his head, then smirked. "Now go. Get some food, and sleep. I'll only be able to do this for twelve hours or so."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto chuckled. "Weakling."

"Stamina freak."

"Old man."

"Short shit."

"Hey! That was low!"

"So was old man, what's your point?"

Naruto paused, and a slow, wicked grin spread across his face. "Why Kakashi-sensei, you're cute when arguing."

Kakashi paused with a retort on his lips, and Naruto smirked, saluting the man with two fingers. "I'll be back."

As he left, he could hear Kakashi yelling, "Don't make me tell Iruka on you Naruto!"

And he laughed, his heart feeling lighter then it had since this whole business with Kiri started.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: This is just to remind people that Hikaru is one of Sasuke's dogs. A Doberman, to be exact. **

**Summary: Brows narrowed, he and Gaara concentrated on using the whips that the Bijuu had shown them to throw the Kiri-nin away from the barrier.**

**Theme: Attack - 30 Seconds To Mars**

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Hikaru watched the arguing couple impassively from the prow of the ship, and almost jumped when a small, tinny voice sounded in his ear.

"Please don't move. I'm not here to harm, just pass a message."

Hikaru tilted his head to the side slightly, angling his ear down towards the – he inhaled – mouse. Now that he knew to look for it, he could smell the rodent against his fur.

"My master is Ao, the second in command after the Mizukage herself. One of the Seven Swordsman was supposed to pass it along, but this encounter was to good to pass up."

Short twitch of the ear. He was listening.

"The man that is currently arguing with the Mizukage calls himself Inari. We suspect it of being an alias of course, but we cannot find his real name. Do you know who he is?"

Another flick. Yes, he did.

"Can you tell me his name?"

A short dip of the head as his eyes followed a crew member. He was viciously happy to see the man twitch and look away.

"Is he in some way controlling the Mizukage?" Ear twitch.

"Will you destroy him?" Twitch.

"I will inform my master then. We leave it up to you and yours."

Hikaru barely felt the mouse climb down, and only because he was looking for it, did he see it melt into the crevices. He turned his attention back to the humans, and made a swift decision. Sasuke had what he needed.

Standing, he unsummoned himself.

**-x-x-x-x-**

An hour later, Naruto nibbled on some orange segments as he looked around at those gathered. They were talking among themselves, so he had a moment to simply look at them.

Kakashi, his former sensei. Sitting so perfectly still on the seal, his mouth twitching in amusement underneath the mask occasionally. Pakkun had informed Tsunade of what was going on, and they had learned something surprising. They weren't classified as missing-nin, and neither was Gaara. They were simply on an extended mission, but they were going to rectify that as soon as they spoke to the respective Kage's. Simply put, they were going to retire.

Sasori, who was remaining silent, only adding his own comments every now and then. When they had destroyed his puppet in the desert, the Puppet Master hadn't bothered to replace it, and surprisingly, was walking around without any sort of well, anything covering his face. It was abundantly clear that he and Gaara were related somehow, because they were the only two that Naruto had ever seen that had that bright, blood red hair.

Naruto popped another piece into his mouth, contemplating the missing-nin. He knew that Sasori was only with them because of his own curiosity, and he wondered how far that would extend. He had said that he would fight with them against Madara, and Naruto alone had made the agreement with him. If somehow the Mizukage was killed – he would try his damndest to see that didn't happen after what the mouse had said – then he would allow Sasori to have her as a puppet. Naruto was the only one who knew of the deal, and the deal that Sasori could have some Kiri-nin for puppets.

Naruto shuddered slightly, earning a glance from Sasuke that he shrugged off. The whole puppet thing made him feel icky inside, but a deal was a deal. And they couldn't afford to have someone as powerful as Sasori against them, when he was such a willing ally. He shrugged again and ate the final piece of orange. He then peeled a banana as the conversation around him resumed, closing his eyes and chewing slowly. He allowed his mind to wander again.

Kakashi was simply there because of his loyalties to Naruto's father, and to him and Sasuke. Even if they were missing-nin, like Iruka had said so many months ago, they hadn't done anything to Konoha, and as long as they continued to do so, Kakashi had no problem helping them. The Jounin had even convinced Tsunade to send Iruka and Shikamaru to them, and they would be here sometime in the night. Jiraiya and the others would be here the next day.

He finished his banana, and set the peel with the orange rinds. Then he grabbed the rabbit jerky and started gnawing on it, his pupils narrowing into slits as they settled on Gaara and Sasuke.

What did he really have to contemplate about those two? He had given up everything for Sasuke, and Gaara had given up everything for him. Somewhere along the lines, they had developed their unconventional relationship, but it worked for them. They were brothers, partners, lovers, and friends. They could work together flawlessly, and even though Sasuke was the weakest out of them, he still had the same amount of chakra as Shukaku alone. None of them were even at their full strength yet, and wouldn't be until they hit their twenties.

Conversation died as he smiled unconsciously, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. The smile dropped as he zoned back, realizing that everyone was staring at him. Blinking innocently, he took another bite of jerky. "What?"

"Naruto…" Kakashi's voice sounded strained, and when Naruto looked at him, he was slightly pale. Doing a quick calculation in his head, he realized Kakashi had been fueling the barrier for about 11 hours. Nodding his head sharply, he finished his jerky and stood, cracking his back at the same time.

"Alright. I'll take over then."

"Allow me."

Naruto blinked at Gaara as the pale man stood smoothly, arms stretching over his head. Of course, just like Naruto, Gaara was only wearing the classic hakama pants, white while Naruto's were pale blue. Sasuke, poor, pale Uchiha that he was, wore a long sleeved white shirt. He couldn't even tan properly, no matter how much time he spent in the sun. He burned, peeled, and didn't even gain any color. It had gotten to the point that Kyuu and Shukaku had developed a sunscreen jutsu, as impractical as that sounded. But it worked and that was all that mattered.

Kakashi staggered off the seal and Sasuke caught him as Gaara sat down on the stone. Back straight, he closed his black ringed eyes, and just like Kakashi's, the barrier became a solid weaving of purple and yellow chakra.

Naruto couldn't help it. He whined, pouted, and stomped his foot. "I hate you two!"

Kakashi laughed tiredly and immediately stripped down to his pants, shirt and vest discarded as he lay on the warm sand. He sighed in pleasure as the afternoon heatmade a pleasant haze around them. None of them were surprised to see that the mask wasn't attached to the shirt like they thought.

"Poor baby," he muttered, and laughed again when Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. We have better control then you do, yea, but we don't have the stamina, or the raw power that you do."

Naruto grumbled and sat again, chin in hand. He felt somewhat better at that, but still.

"Naruto, I need Kyuu."

He blinked over at Gaara, and noted the lines of strain on his forehead. Immediately the atmosphere became charged with awareness as Naruto scooted over to Gaara. He touched the man's knee and closed his eyes, adding his chakra as he called to Kyuu. That was when he felt it. There were huge balls of chakra coming towards them from above.

Snickering, he allowed Kyuu free reign and with glee, he and Shukaku went on the offensive once again. The hands appeared, and began to smack the flaming balls from the sky. Naruto cracked an eye open in time to see the first one go flying unerringly into a boat, and blinked both eyes open. They were large, flaming rocks!

"Wow…" he mumbled, awed in spite of himself. He narrowed his eyes, head sharply turning towards the west and the setting sun when he felt a group approaching the barrier. The dome flickered a moment as Naruto shoved Gaara over enough that he could sit as well, facing the red head.

Brows narrowed, he and Gaara concentrated on using the whips that the Bijuu had shown them to throw the Kiri-nin away from the barrier as the demons continued to smack the rocks from the sky and into the boats.

After about ten minutes, Shukaku gasped, **"Sorry, but I can't do it anymore. It's taking too much chakra."**

"**Pussy!" **Kyuu snarled as the purple hands disappeared, and Shukaku made no response as he sank back into Gaara, the poor demon panting.

Then they both glared in outrage as they were shoved and Sasuke sat down, making a triangle. His pure white, crackling chakra streamed into the seal and the dome flickered, then settled into a near eye blinding white. It was more tightly woven then either Gaara's or Kakashi's, but since Sasuke was a trained medic-nin, that really wasn't surprising.

_Concentrate on getting them away,_ he whispered into their minds. _I'll hold the barrier._

_Gotcha._

So Naruto, Gaara, and Kyuu did just that. With the secure knowledge that Sasuke had their backs, they put all of their attention into the people attacking it.

He could only imagine what it looked like to the enemies. Furious red hands smacking the stones back at the boats, and slender, burning whips of blue and yellow chakra dancing over the dome like snakes. More blue then yellow, but every time one struck, there was a scream. Naruto didn't aim to kill, leaving bad burns behind, but Gaara had no such qualms. Each of his whips struck to kill, and more often then not, they succeeded.

By the time Kiri retreated several hours later, even Naruto was gasping for breath as sweat streamed down his body. Kyuu was on all fours in his cage, paws braced against the bottom of it as he snarled and panted, tails lashing back forth in his anger. Those whips took a ridiculous amount of chakra for how small they were.

Naruto winced and simply collapsed backwards off the stone, giving Kakashi a bleary smile when he was caught. He looked over and saw that Sasori had caught Gaara as he collapsed as well. As they were put down right by the rock he looked at Sasuke, and blinked in surprise. He was sitting, coated in his flickering white chakra, but there was a small, serene smile on his face and his entire demeanor was relaxed.

"Aren't you tired Sasuke?" he asked with a yawn, and hummed when Sasuke shook his head.

"I have perfect control, which means that the barrier only takes a fraction of the chakra you or Gaara have to use." His words were slow, but the smirk on his face was clear. "You two sleep. I can hold it until everyone gets here, and I'll let Iruka and Shikamaru through."

Naruto yawned again and pillowed his head on his arms, blinking slowly at Sasuke. "You can let them through?"

Sasuke hummed, and tilted his head to the side. "Yes. Since I am one of the ones Jiraiya keyed into the barrier, and with my control, I can choose to let those through that I want."

"Huh." That was the only thing Naruto managed before Kyuu grabbed his conscious and threw him into a deep sleep.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Gaara didn't fare much better, but he was happy Shukaku had made him sleep. When he woke up several hours later to a light tapping inside his mind, he opened his eyes groggily to dawn light. His chakra and Shukaku's was almost back at full capacity.

_Good, you're awake. Itachi and the others are here._

Gaara nodded as Sasuke's voice came through, and looked at the glowing white barrier above them. Which meant their Uchiha was still fueling it. Yawning and standing, he stretched as he looked around. Surprisingly, Kakashi and Iruka were talking to Itachi, while Kisame and Jiraiya were off talking to Naruto and Shikamaru. Yawning again, he sat down by Sasuke, rubbing sleep from his eyes. It was a testament to how exhausting it had been that he slept more then two hours. Shukaku may not send his nightmares or try to take over his mind, but a lifetime of being an insomniac wasn't so easily cured.

_So, what's going on?_ He asked his dark haired lover, and Sasuke smirked slightly, eyes still closed.

_We were waiting for you to awaken, and then I think they plan on dropping the barrier and attacking. _Sasuke's smirk widened as he got one of his own. _Itachi made a good point. Not even the entire Kiri navy could stand up to the group that we have. _

_That is true,_ he mused, looking around. Absently he reached up and scratched his shoulder, peeling a piece of burnt skin. There was a brief burn of pain, and Shukaku hissed in his mind.

"**Stop that you fool!"** he hissed as Gaara continued to peel the skin. The red head smirked as Shukaku formed a small hand and slapped his away with the new found technique. Agreeably, Gaara lowered his hand, yawning again. He hated sleeping for longer then a few hours. It always took him so long to wake up afterwards.

Standing once again, he went through simple stretching exercises that Shukaku had taught him, designed to relax every muscle in his body. He also hoped they would wake him up.

It worked. It also helped that Shukaku sent what felt like ice shooting through his veins. That probably woke him up more then the exercise. Shivering, he stepped out into the sun, admiring that even with the barrier, they still got perfect sunlight. How, he had no clue, but he was grateful for it.

There was a nagging thought in the back of his head, and it only grew stronger as he looked from Itachi, to Naruto, and then back to Sasuke. For some reason…

_Sasuke, didn't Kyuu change something about your eyes?_

Naruto and Sasuke both twitched, but Naruto didn't stop his conversation with the others, but Gaara could tell he was listening.

_Yes…he did. I have the Eternal Sharingan just like Madara. Wait!_ He stressed as Naruto whipped around and Gaara opened his mouth. They ignored the frustrated looks everyone was giving them. _It is the Eternal Sharingan, yes, but because it wasn't evolved how it should be, it's not as strong as Madara's. _

_Questions._ Naruto's voice was slow and thoughtful, as he walked over to them. _The Bijuu say that Madara can control them with his Sharingan. I'm guessing it's through some sort of genjutsu. _Kyuu and Shukaku both hummed in agreement. _Sasuke, if you put the same genjutsu on them, could he break it?_

_Yes, though it would take more effort, and…_ The onyx eyes opened wide as Naruto gave him a huge grin. _Naruto, that's genius. It will take more time and effort to break mine, and in that time, it will give Kyuu and Shukaku a chance to get away, or return to you and Gaara where they'll be safe!_

Naruto sat on the ground, heaving a shaking sigh. _Well that's one thing off my mind. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how they can fight alongside us. Red has been pestering me to find a way. He really wants a chance at Madara._

_I don't blame him, _Gaara said quietly, and the other two nodded, faces turning solemn. He motioned to the remaining boats outside the barrier. _So how are we going to do this?_

Naruto grinned wickedly. _Well, let me tell you. Since they have the island surrounded, we're all going to go to different points, and when your area is cleared, you join your neighbor and just keep going. Shika wants it to be me, Kakashi, and Sasuke against the main boats. He wants Gaara to stay on the island._

Gaara bristled at that, and Naruto smiled indulgently. _Think about it Gaara. You and Shukaku are the only ones that can use this entire island as a weapon. _

Gaara opened his mouth, then closed it. _I can't argue with that. _

_I doubt you'll be here for long anyway,_ Sasuke muttered, and gave him a leer. Gaara returned it, and Naruto smirked.

_Alright you two, stop flirting. Now that everyone is here, when I give you the signal Sasuke, drop the barrier. _

_Completely?_

Naruto's eyes trained on Sasuke, and Gaara couldn't stop the small burst of insane, giddy laughter that bubbled into his mind.

_Yea, completely._

It wasn't long before Sasuke's face bore the same bloodthirsty, excited grin that theirs did. _Hai, Kage-sama._


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary: "I have complete control over her movement's children. You cannot kill me without killing her first, and this is a genjutsu you will not be able to break."**

**Theme: Monster - Skillet**

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Itachi stared at the barrier, barely seeing the ships that were beyond it. He kept his mind blank, except for a running list of jutsu's and scenarios. It wouldn't be too much longer now before the dome would drop, and it would be time for them to begin.

Just as it did, he slipped the plain black cloak off, allowing him freedom of movement, and palmed a kunai. A burn ran through his eyes as he activated his Mangekyo, a small, grim smile tugging the corner of his lips.

Before the enemy could react to the release of the barrier, he used a shunshin to appear in the midst of the ships, immediately forming the hand seals to loose a large fireball while spinning in a circle. He released it and engaged the first person, easily breaching his defenses and slitting his throat.

As jutsu's and people started to bombard him, he took a deep breath, and began his killing dance.

It was time to finally start fighting for what he believed in.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Kisame's portion was easily wiped out, but for a man who was hailed as a Jinchuuriki without a Bijuu, as well as being one of the Seven Swordsman, it was no issue for him. As he joined Jiraiya, he smirked as he watched the man.

The Sannin was living up to his name. Powerful jutsu's flew along with devastating attacks, and Kisame just leaned against his sword – not Samehada, but it was still good – and watched. Soon he was shaking his head in rueful amusement as ship after ship was taken down, blood beginning to change the pristine blue water a murky pink.

Once it was done, the white haired man headed over to him, and they stood for a moment looking at the destruction they had wrought. Finally Jiraiya sighed, and looked at him.

"You head over and help Itachi. I'll go to Sasori."

Hefting his sword onto his shoulder, he gave the man a cocky grin. "Yep."

**-x-x-x-x-**

Shikamaru scowled, wondering why the hell he had to be the one to come to the rescue of the troublesome blond and his friends.

As he flitted silently over to the next ship, leaving confusion and panic in his wake, he couldn't help but smirk as he watched Kakashi and Iruka work seamlessly together on the water. It was his job to take down the ships; but it was theirs to keep the Kiri-nin off his back.

Hiding among the sails, he delicately – oh so delicately – manipulated his shadows, taking control of the captain of the ship. The one thing he had worked hard on was finally paying off. He no longer had to move along with the person he was controlling.

He watched with a straight face as the captain – wearing a look of absolute terror – bombarded his own vessel with jutsu after jutsu until it finally broke apart. He released the shadows just in time, because one of the man's shipmates, in a desperate last attempt to stop him, slashed his throat.

He went down with the ship.

Sighing and ignoring the queasiness of his stomach, he moved onto the next ship.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Naruto snarled in frustrated rage as he dodged another rain of lava from the Mizukage.

"You puny thing!" He snarled at the yelling laugh from the woman. "No one can stand up against the might of Kirigakure!"

"I keep trying to tell you woman!" He yelled back. "You're being controlled! By that asshole you call Inari! He's really Uchiha Madara!"

She just laughed, and he dodged again as she rained fire down at him.

"You expect me to believe that? I'll believe it when you give me proof!"

His temper snapped. "Fine you old hag! Sasuke!"

He and Kakashi darted at her, drawing her attention for the split second it took Sasuke to appear in front of her, catching her in a genjutsu. He had no clue what went on, but after a few seconds she stiffened and Sasuke jumped back. She began to move like a puppet, but her beautiful eyes were filled with a terrible understanding.

"Inari…no, _Madara_…" she hissed as the man appeared behind her. "You foul beast! To play with a woman's heart like that!"

"You mean like this, dear one?" Madara purred cruelly, and with a twist of his fingers, she jerked around, mowing down two of her own ships with a powerful Katon.

She shrieked in pure rage as Sasuke and Kakashi stood near Naruto. The blond was about to ask if Madara was really controlling her, when he looked into the green eyes.

He could _see_ her internal battle. She was standing there, a lifeless puppet, but she was still struggling. Still trying to find a way to undo the control he had over her.

It seemed there was one thing that wasn't affected, however.

"You man whore! If I ever get the chance, I am going to take your dick and feed it slowly to the sharks! With you still attached!"

The three men were forced to go on the defensive, even as her mouth continued to spew acidic insults.

"Weak willed man! You can't even fight me face to face! Oh no, you had to go behind my back you spineless Uchiha!"

Naruto signaled to Sasuke to try and attack Madara, but as soon as he appeared with his weapon raised, she was there. She let out a howl of pain and anger when Madara didn't even make her block, the sharp edge slicing through her shoulder. It was a minor injury true, but it wouldn't have been had Sasuke not altered it last moment.

He danced back, and Madara began to laugh as she panted.

"I have complete control over her movement's children. You cannot kill me without killing her first, and this is a genjutsu you will not be able to break."

Naruto paused. "Is what he said true?" He said this quietly enough that only the two men at his sides would hear.

Sasuke nodded slowly, his eyes burning with hatred and calculation. "Yes. I don't even think if we combined our forces could we break it."

Naruto scowled, and it only grew deeper as he came to the same conclusion, no matter how he looked at it.

They were going to have to kill Terumi Mei, the Mizukage of Kirigakure. And she had apparently come to the same conclusion.

"Fuck this! Kill me damnit, and protect Kiri from this madman!"

Madara laughed as they gaped at her. "You think these whelps will protect you precious Village woman? You're stupider then I thought."

"Ha! If you could have gotten to them, then you wouldn't have needed to use me you asshole!" Her voice was filled with noxious anger, and he suddenly became silent. She smiled darkly.

"Yea, just like I thought. You had to have an entire army backing you up before you even thought of taking them on. You are fucking weak Uchiha! To hide behind me like some frightened child-"

She abruptly stopped talking as Madara flung her into action, making all the men turn to defense. None of them were quite willing to kill her yet.

Just as Sasuke scowled, his eyes filling with sick determination, her two underlings appeared. They were stopped from attacking them by her screamed order.

"They are not to be touched! My body is being controlled by this man! Kill me!" When they hesitated, gaping at her swiftly moving form, Madara spun her around and delivered a strong punch to her jaw. With a pop, it dislocated.

"Can't have you ruining the fun so quickly, now can I hmm?" He glared right into her furious eyes before flicking his fingers carelessly. She was wrenched around again, but with a determined glint in her eye, she wrenched some control away from him. With a sharp snap, she rammed her jaw against her shoulder, knocking the joint back into place.

"Ao, Chojuro, let it be known that I relinquish my title as Mizukage to Namikaze Naruto."

Even Madara stopped at that, staring at the woman.

"WHAT?"

Everyone blinked at Naruto's shocked exclamation, but at the word, the spell was broken. Madara began to laugh, a slow chuckle that built into full blown guffaws.

"Naruto? Mizukage?" His chortling slowed down, and he even made a show of wiping his eyes under his mask. "That would be the day."

Her smile though, was absolutely devious. "Yes, Namikaze Naruto. With him comes Uchiha Sasuke, Subaku Gaara and an alliance with Konoha and Suna. Not to mention those wonderful people standing on the beach behind them."

Madara stopped suddenly, and even his body language was showing utter shock.

Naruto didn't have to look. He could feel the chakra signals that had suddenly appeared behind them, and smiled darkly.** "Neh, Kyuu. It looks like we won't have to take over Kiri. We just got it handed to us."**

The Bijuu gave a sinister laugh. "**Looks like. And we can even do what she wants us to. What's the point in being a leader and not having anything to lead?"**

"Well well well," Madara muttered as the rest of the group appeared around the trio. "It seems as though my sources were wrong."

They fearlessly made a line, but Itachi took one step closer, his nose tilting up slightly.

"You are not all powerful Madara, despite what you might think."

"Are you going to be the one to prove me wrong, Itachi?"

Itachi inclined his head slightly, and Naruto's grin spread. "Not just I, Madara. But all of us."

The eldest Uchiha just snorted. "Then go ahead and try it. Your precious Kage-sama doesn't have the stomach to kill her to get to me, and that's the only way it'll happen."

"Damnit Naruto!" the Mizukage screamed, her body being flung into battle. "Just kill me, and take over! You're the only one that can keep him from using Kiri!"

Naruto scowled as he dodged her attacks, noting that Madara was focusing all his attacks on him. "Stop it Mizukage-sama! There has to be a way to break you free!"

Both Itachi and Sasuke appeared at his sides. _There isn't, Naruto. I'm sorry._

"I've seen this before. It can't be broken Naruto-kun."

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, biting his bottom lip so hard that blood began to pour down his chin. She rained blow after blow as the Uchiha brothers leapt out of the way, but Kyuu was doing his job and the automatic defense was scorching and burning any appendage that she tried to harm him with.

"**Kyuu…" **He didn't even have to say anything else. He knew that all his denial, pleading, guilt…and determination was in that single word.

"…**I'm sorry meat bag. If there was a way to break her free, then I would tell you. If you want, you can let me out and I will take care of it for you."**

"**No…I can't ask that of you. She asked me to kill her, and I will."**

"I will also make sure that Madara can't use Kiri any longer," he said aloud, opening his eyes slowly. Louder he said, "Everyone get back. This is my fight apparently."

He blinked as arms wrapped around his waist, a chin being placed on his shoulder. _This is not your battle alone, dobe._

_He's right Naruto_, Gaara said quietly, stepping up and sliding an arm around both their waists, putting his head on Naruto's opposite shoulder. Kyuu snarled a little at the added bodies, but didn't protest enlarging his range of the fire in defense against the Mizukage.

"Now that's just sick," Madara scoffed, and surprisingly, all three teens just laughed. Naruto gave the man a shit eating grin.

"Jealous Madara?"

The man didn't respond, but the stutter in his control over Terumi proved it. Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke and Gaara both made a noise of disgust, before he started howling with laughter.

"You…you are! Holy shit!"

"I am _not_ Naruto," Madara said tightly, but it only made Naruto laugh harder, and even the two by his side started to chuckle. His anger translated to Terumi, who snarled as he made her body go almost past her limit.

"Shut the hell up you brats! Will you just fucking kill me already, so I can be free?"

It was like a switch was thrown. The three teen's laughter died away, and their faces smoothed down into impassive masks.

"I am sorry, Mizukage-sama," Naruto breathed as he set his feet, Sasuke and Gaara taking their spots next to him.

Madara scoffed, but it wasn't quite as confident as before. "You wouldn't."

Sasuke closed his eyes and activated the Eternal Sharingan, just as Gaara and Naruto sliced their wrists, bringing forth their Bijuu.

"Will surprises never cease. Hello Kyuubi, Shukaku."

They didn't even look at him, instead keeping their eyes on Sasuke. When he caught their eyes, he knew the trust they were putting in him, and made sure that the genjutsu was the strongest he could make it, while not affecting them at all. Tomoe's swirled in their eyes, the sign of the jutsu, before fading completely.

Naruto watched as all of Kyuu's nine tails twitched, the steady, crimson eyes focusing on him.

"We will take on Madara while you deal with the Mizukage," he said quietly, and Naruto was forced to swallow bile as he nodded.

He really didn't want to do this. He had killed before, but never someone who deserved it less then the Mizukage.

_She is the epitome of what a real Kage should be_, he whispered in his mind, starting a bit when two approving touches graced his mind. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he steeled his will, and palmed a kunai.

Then the three joined the deadly dance that centered on Madara and Terumi.

He felt Madara try to catch him in a genjutsu a few times, but he was able to shake it off with a few tricks learned from the Uchiha brothers and Kyuubi. It was the same for Gaara. Also, Madara couldn't even start a genjutsu with Sasuke. Apparently his dark haired lover was immune with his Eternal Sharingan.

Finally, after nearly an hour of exchanged jutsu's and blows, her body could take no more. She stumbled, and a look of painful triumph over took her as he dashed in, refusing to think about what he was about to do. His kunai pierced her heart, and from somewhere in front of him, Madara howled in rage. It seemed whatever control he had over her was gone since she slumped into his arms, the other four redoubling their efforts against Madara.

He lowered them both to the surface of the water, trying to smile at Ao and Chojuro as they rushed over and knelt by them.

"Thank you Naruto," she whispered, and then coughed, blood dribbling from her lips. She got her breath back, but Naruto could feel the beat of her heart becoming slower and more erratic under his hand. "Ao, Chojuro…make sure that you help them in any way you…you can. They…can protect…Kiri from that…asshole…"

She coughed again, and Naruto furiously tried to blink away his tears. "This shouldn't have happened this way…"

She smiled slightly at him, her green eyes calm and a little glazed. It wouldn't be much longer now. "Don't…Naruto…cute guys…shouldn't cry…"

Most of the life left her eyes, but she was still smiling. "Protect…Kiri…here…"

She slipped a rather large silver ring off her thumb, shaped like a shark with sapphires for eyes. "Don't…forget…me…"

"Never Terumi Mei, Godaime Mizukage."

She patted his cheek, her smile turning slightly wicked. "Good…boy…"

Then she was gone.

Naruto slowly closed her eyes, slipping the ring over the middle finger of his left hand. He kept his face hidden with his bangs as he glanced at the two, pale men. "Take her to the island."

They didn't argue, picking her up and disappearing in puffs of smoke. Slowly he stood, eyes closed as his hands clenched into fists. All around him he could hear the sounds of battle, since it seemed everyone had joined. That made sense though, since they didn't have to worry about Terumi anymore.

Blood began to drip into the water below his feet from his hands, and he bit his lip as his body began to tremble.

It just wasn't fair! He knew that life wasn't fair, but…this went beyond that. Also…her death was all his fault. There were so many things that he could have done differently…

Anger and guilt began to fill him, flowing with a bite that was close to the acidity of Kyuu's chakra. The last time he remembered being this angry, was when he found out about his father. It scalded him, burrowing into his mind with malicious intent, and refused to let go. He wasn't even sure if he wanted it to go away. There was an odd sense of freedom in feeling like this – in having all other emotion gone except for this bloodlust.

He lifted his head, eyes cold and glittering as he surveyed the ebb and flow of the battle. Everyone had formed into groups: Kisame and Itachi, Iruka, Kakashi, and Shika, Gaara and Sasuke with the Bijuu, and Jiraiya and Sasori. Even as he watched, Kisame and Sasori were hit hard with a barrage of several jutsu's, knocking them both out of the fight.

He let the emotions build in him, intentionally baring his soul and mind to them, _wanting_ them as deep as they could go. Continuous thoughts of rage and guilt flashed through his mind, making his heartbeat triple as he began to pant harshly. His eyes stayed trained on the rapidly moving Madara, searching for any signs of tiring, and finding none. As a kunai was buried in Jiraiya's leg, at the same moment another one was plunged deep into Gaara's chest, he lost it.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Even he could hear the eerie, almost echoing tone to his voice as his mind began to spiral into darkness, the words bouncing weirdly across the battle. It was almost comic the way everyone stopped and stared at him as he began to walk close to Madara. Kyuu didn't even argue. After giving him a searching look, he made the seal, and the blood splashed down into the water.

Naruto rolled his neck with a foxy grin as battle adrenaline from Kyuu flowed through him, igniting his own and he hissed with sinister laughter.

"Ah, Kyuu…" he purred darkly out loud. "If this is how you feel in battle, no wonder you killed as many as you did."

"…**what the hell has gotten into you brat? Your mind…"**

"**I'm done with this shit, Kyuu." **He ignored the rest of the world, except for the steady thrums of emotions coming from Sasuke and Gaara through the links. Slowly - _so slowly_ - he drew Kyuu's power into his body and pushed it through his coils, nearly becoming aroused from the burning pain. He barely noticed as he fell to his knees, staring at his own hands as they shifted and reformed into claws, his skin lighting up from the inside with the poisonous chakra.

"**I understand now…" **He whispered in his mind, and ignored the flashes of concern from all parties connected with his mind. "I understand…"

"**Brat…no, wait!"**

He shut down the voice, and wrenched what remaining chakra there was from the Bijuu inside of him. As blond fur began to flow over his body, his bones breaking and reforming in a heartbeat, his mind was focused on one thing.

_Bathing in the blood of his enemy – saving those that he cared for – ripping Madara apart limb from limb – protecting – defending – living!_

_Sasuke, Gaara! Get on!_ He yelled it at his lovers as he charged towards Madara, and they did it without question. Shukaku had gone back to Gaara when Kyuu did, and the trickle of blood from the wound in his chest was lessening with each moment.

Gaara landed lightly on his head as Sasuke stood on his back, and everyone got the hell out of their way as they began a wicked dance around the eldest Uchiha.

It looked almost choreographed. Sasuke – with his speed and balance – leapt lightly back and forth across Naruto's tails, and Naruto was always there with an added boost to his speed with a flick of the flame tipped appendage. Sasuke's weapons all sparkled with lightning as he threw jutsu after jutsu at Madara, slashing at him whenever he got close enough, the Eternal Sharingan glaring bright crimson and black in his eyes. Then there was Gaara. From the top of Naruto's head, his hands wove around his body, directing the sand whips that had Madara constantly being forced into a defensive position as he fended off both Sasuke and Gaara at the same moment.

Naruto didn't take part in the fight just yet. His job was to make sure that his lovers were kept far enough away from Madara, and to protect them. A perfect example was the wave of crushing water that was rushing towards him from a jutsu. Naruto snarled and the Kyuu's fire rushed from his muzzle, turning the wave into a wall of steam that was dissipated with a blast of his own wind element. He laughed harshly as he heard Madara snarl in frustration.

He had his moment when the flow of the battle changed, and he saw an opening. He dashed in, and was able to chomp hard on one of Madara's arms, intent on ripping it off. Fire burned through his mouth before he could and he jumped back, showing none of the pain in his mouth as Kyuu grumbled and started healing it. Blood dripped from his fangs as they faced off once again on the water, Sasuke and Gaara both standing on his head.

He wondered what it was that Madara was seeing when he looked at the three of them. Sasuke with his element of lightning flashing along the blade in his hand, and Gaara with that deadly sand weaving and almost caressing his head and the other man. Then him…a blond nine-tails, only half the size of the original, but just as deadly.

"I grow tired of this Naruto-kun," Madara ground out, and Naruto laughed. It came out as hissing yelps, but he didn't care.

"You are not the only one, Madara." Itachi said the words clearly, and Naruto didn't even turn his head when another weight was added to his back.

"I think it's time to end this." That was Kakashi, and once again, someone else jumped onto him.

_You know, humans aren't exactly light,_ he grumbled into his mind, which made both Sasuke and Gaara snicker.

"Quite right Kakashi-san!" Madara's voice was happy, and that instantly put Naruto on edge.

"Go Naruto!" Itachi hissed, and Naruto instantly jumped forward. Madara gave a yell of pure frustration as whatever he had been planning was thwarted, which made a warm, fuzzy feeling erupt in Naruto's heart. He made sure to stay close to Madara, allowing the Sharingan user's to use his tails as spring boards, while his fire and Gaara's sand kept him distracted.

Seeing another chance, Naruto grabbed Madara with one of his free tails and sent fire down it swiftly, scorching the Uchiha. After he screamed, he whipped the man into the cliff wall, using his tails to keep everyone back. He set his paws and opened his mouth, drawing together a ball of pure chakra that would be sure to finish the job.

Before he could let it loose, something happened. Or rather, _someone_ happened.

He could hear the faltering heartbeat of Madara, could feel the waning chakra. So when Orochimaru appeared out of the cliff face that Madara was stuck to, he was so surprised that all of his gathered chakra dissipated.

"So sorry Naruto-kun!" Orochimaru called jovially, grabbing hold of Madara. "I hope this isn't any inconvenience. Don't worry. I will destroy Madara for you!"

Sasuke let out a scream of pure hatred and leapt for the man, but Orochimaru was gone. His Chidori cracked the rock with a loud boom, causing a portion of the face to crack and fall into the water. Gaara grabbed a still fuming Sasuke a moment before he would be crushed by the rock, and brought him back.

_Fucking Orochimaru! We should have killed him when we had the chance!_

_Sasuke calm down,_ Naruto said softly, and blinked when Sasuke rounded on him, face hard as granite.

_Naruto, he has the Sharingan now! Not only the Sharingan, but an Eternal! And think of how much he will get from Madara!_

_Teme, we don't know if Orochimaru will even be able to take over Madara! That old ass will probably kill the snake instead of the other way around!_

_He was close to death, _Gaara said practically as the two sat down on Naruto's head. There was a buzz of activity around them, their people and Kiri-nin alike, but they ignored it since they were being left alone. _It is probable that Orochimaru will be able to take over Madara. Orochimaru would seal his chakra, and then break his mind. After that, it would be nothing._

There was a long moment as Sasuke glared at Naruto, and the blond fox thought about it. Then…_ Fuck. We're fucked._

_No shit dobe. And now we have to deal with Kiri, since the Mizukage named you the next one._

There was only one word that popped into Naruto's head that summed up everything.

_Shit._


	22. Chapter 22

**X-.-X-.-X-.-X-.-X-.-X**

**I shall be telling this with a sigh**

**Somewhere ages and ages hence:**

**Two roads Diverged in a wood, and I-**

**I took the one less traveled by,**

**And that has made all the difference.**

**- Robert Frost**

**X-.-X-.-X-.-X-.-X-.-X**

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Naruto scowled at them. _I don't want it. Pick someone else. _He also didn't care that the guilt and darkness that was eating him was being broadcast loud and clear to his lovers.

_Dobe…_

_Drop it Sasuke,_ Gaara said quietly, standing. _There is no point in arguing over it. We will simply have to pick someone else._

Sasuke huffed in agitation, even as he began to absently pet the soft fur under his hand. _Who else would do it?_

Surprisingly, the question was answered for them. All their heads whipped around when the surprisingly loud, firm voice of Itachi rang out over the water, directing the Kiri-nin to the island with their wounded. They watched as one of the men balked at being ordered around by Itachi, a missing-nin and also a previous Konoha shinobi, but Itachi silenced him with a glare and a pointed finger.

_Well now,_ Sasuke muttered thoughtfully, an evil glint appearing in his eyes. _Never thought Itachi had it in him…_

_He would make a good Mizukage,_ Naruto responded, rolling an eye upwards to look slyly at the two still on his head.

_The only trick would be in getting him to agree,_ Gaara added, head cocking to the side.

Sasuke smirked. _Leave that one to me._

_And me,_ Naruto chimed in, tails beginning to weave back and forth slightly. _I could always make it an order, since he did say he recognized me as a Kage._

All three of them smirked then, and anyone close enough edged away, unnerved.

They didn't even notice.

_We can't do anything about Orochimaru now anyway, _Gaara said practically. _Even after all this time we have no clue where his current base is. It's best to concentrate on getting everything settled with Kiri and getting the defenses up. Naruto, we need you back in human form. And…we need to talk._

Naruto winced slightly at that, but anger flared on the heels of it. He knew exactly what Gaara was speaking of, but he also knew that Sasuke didn't. Gaara had been insane – he intimately understood the darkness that was digging its roots deep into his soul and mind.

_Talk about what?_ He asked coldly as he shook his head furiously, sending them both flying. He channeled Kyuu's chakra back into the cage and beast, making no noise as his bones cracked and shifted him back into human form. With the mood that he was in, there was no way he was going to say that it hurt. It also didn't matter that they could feel what he was because the link was still open.

Sasuke waited until he was done before speaking. _Naruto…_

_Stop it!_ He barked, slashing a now human hand through the air, switching his glare between them. _I don't want to hear it. We need to do something about Orochimaru, but first Kiri needs to be settled, and Itachi talked to. _He crossed his arms over his naked chest, completely uncaring that he was completely nude. If other people had a problem with it, they could kiss his ass.

_Kiri will respect Itachi's ruthlessness, and backed by us, he'll have no problem holding it. Besides, we're going to have enough issues dealing with Kariudo, and our island. _They both blinked in slight startlement, and Naruto smirked. _What, did you really think the people who live on our island are going to automatically want to be Kiri citizens?_

There was a moment of embarrassed silence, and Iruka abruptly popped in, whacking him upside his head.

Iruka didn't see the flash of murderous intent, but the boys did. They sucked in a breath as Iruka started talking.

"Namikaze Naruto! Why are you standing over here, when so much else needs to be done? You should be helping, not…Naruto?"

"Gomen, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said vaguely, feeling suddenly detached and calm from the world around him. If Iruka touched him one more time, with the mood he was in…he'd be leaving with a broken arm, sensei or not. "Now isn't the best of times."

Iruka had just opened his mouth when Itachi flashed in, looking between the boys with a knowing glance as he grabbed a shoulder. "Iruka, I would like your help with something. Please."

Iruka tensed slightly, more of a reflex to it being Itachi more than anything else. Then he calmed and nodded. "Hai Itachi." He then turned to Naruto with surprisingly dark, knowing eyes. "Don't let it shut everything down, Naruto." Then he turned, and both men were gone.

The blond slowly closed his eyes and turned towards the shore, leaning that way almost gracefully. He needed to escape…his actions, Orochimaru, Kiri…

Ten minutes. Just ten. _Fucking. Minutes! _He opened his eyes and shook his head mutely, ignoring the surprised looks.

Then he was gone, putting a big enough boost onto his speed that water rushed over them. He didn't even care. With a slightly clawed hand he grabbed a ledge, and propelled his body upwards. The moment his foot hit ground, he was off and gone through the woods.

He concentrated on the feeling of the wind blowing against his face as he leapt from branch, ignoring Sasuke and…he stopped in surprise, which allowed the Uchiha to catch up. Eyes narrowed, he touched the seal on his wrist, shutting down the connection completely.

"Where's Gaara?"

"He stayed to help Itachi and the others get Kiri settled," Sasuke said quietly, a shoulder lifting in a shrug.

"Ah." His eyes never left Sasuke's. "Why are you here?"

Sasuke only shrugged again. "I couldn't let you escape without me following, could I?"

Naruto let his eyes fall to mere slits, leaning against the tree. He was about to say something when Sasuke pulled out a pack from one of the storage seals on his forearm. He caught the black cloak as it was thrown his way and with a flourish, set it across his shoulders. He was still feeling some of the edges from the battle, and when Sasuke's eyes wandered down the large gap that did nothing to hide his nudity, he let his lips curl into a sultry smile.

"Like something you see, teme?" he purred, and Sasuke smirked.

"Of course dobe. It's also something I don't want everyone else to see." He paused, and shook his head ruefully. "Except Gaara, but he's a special case." Suddenly Sasuke's eyes became serious again. "What are you going to do Naruto?"

The blond sighed, turning his head to look deeper into the woods. "I don't know what you mean Sasuke."

"Yes you do." Naruto's head snapped back as he glared at his dark haired lover. "If you're going to run, you know I'll go with you. Never thought you to be someone who gave up this easily though."

Naruto hissed, revealing his sharper than normal teeth. "I'm not _running_ teme. I'm just…overwhelmed at the moment." Naruto watched with suspicion as a dark light entered the onyx eyes, and Sasuke sauntered over to him. His breath hitched as Sasuke elegantly fell to his knees before him, their eyes locked even as soft kisses were pressed to his hipbone.

"Is this your way of helping me relax, Sasuke?" he breathed, shivering slightly as fingers began to ghost over his legs, over his ass, then curling around his hips.

"Maybe…you're the only one that can get me on my knees, dobe," Sasuke purred, and the sex that nearly oozed from the Uchiha caught him for the ride. Hissing softly as a talented tongue snaked out and licked the tip of his manhood, he carefully carded his fingers through the thick black hair, momentarily forgetting about everything. Which was the point, most likely.

He relaxed against the tree, panting, as slow, long licks went up and down. He was caught by the hooded black gaze staring up at him, watching down his body with an intense look.

He loved the way Sasuke looked while doing this. The utterly absorbed face he wore, as though he didn't want to be doing anything else in the world. It humbled him even as it aroused him further. He nearly whimpered as those lips parted completely, his length being engulfed by the slick, wet heat.

"Sasuke…" The word was a drawn out, quiet moan, and he knew his Uchiha was smirking when his eyes rolled up to look into sapphire. That ridiculously talented tongue pressed along the underside of his shaft as Sasuke's cheeks hallowed, a strangled cry coming from him at the sudden increase in suction. Sasuke released him with a soft pop, and there was a smirk on the slightly flushed cheeks.

"Yes, dobe?" Naruto shivered at the sex thick voice, sliding down the tree until he was sitting. He gently grabbed Sasuke's hips, moving his lover until his lap was straddled. The smirk just got bigger. "If we're going to do this, then this position is going to be very awkward for the removal of my pants."

Naruto returned the smirk, and gestured with his hand. "By all means, stand and take them off."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as he willingly stood. He wanted this just as much as Naruto. It had been so long since it was just the two of them… "You just want to see me strip."

His smirk turned devilish. "So?"

Sasuke laughed softly, and the striptease was a slow torture for Naruto, even as he watched hungrily as every pale inch of Sasuke was revealed. In no time, the clothing was piled behind him, and Naruto wrapped his arms around the slender waist and Sasuke fit perfectly back into his lap.

Their lips came together smoothly, and they kissed languidly as Sasuke rocked his hips slowly, which allowed Naruto's shaft to glide between his cheeks. Naruto shivered as the pianists fingers caressed his skin even as their tongues dueled, and finally his impatience got the better of him. He deepened the kiss as one of his hands wandered lower, a single finger circling the puckered entrance.

Sasuke then broke the kiss, reaching behind him to grab Naruto's wrist. Blinking, Naruto looked into his eyes and then groaned as Sasuke shifted, his head breaching the entrance slightly.

"No fingers," Sasuke panted, and grabbed both his hands, placing them on his shoulder. "Just don't move."

"Ok…" he whispered hoarsely, watching with wide eyes as Sasuke threw his head back, rocking slowly down, taking him in by increments. "Holy shit…"

They both uttered quiet groans as Sasuke sunk all the way down, and Naruto didn't miss the look of discomfort that Sasuke tried to hide. He slid his hands into the thick hair, bringing Sasuke down for a distracting kiss. As they did, he moved his hands down to the sexy curve of Sasuke's lower back, massaging the skin and muscle there as their tongues battled. He nearly came as Sasuke shuddered, the walls fluttering around him.

It wasn't until Sasuke pulled back and snickered that Naruto realized he had closed his eyes.

"Are you ok for me to move, dobe? You look like you're in pain."

Naruto snapped his eyes opened and smirked, thrusting into the man above him with a short, quick movement. Now he snickered as Sasuke's eyes rolled, the man gasping quietly.

"Ready when you are teme."

It wasn't until Sasuke started to move that he realized how painfully the bark was digging into his back, but by that time, he also didn't care. Everything seemed to melt away at the slow, graceful movements of Sasuke above him.

There were no longer any confusing emotions over him killing Terumi, or anger over Orochimaru stealing Madara. The Akatsuki and Kiri were far from his mind, the endless pools of glistening black above him drawing him in, comforting him, giving him a safe haven. The slick heat glided up and down, giving him something else to focus on – a way for him to forget, even for a moment.

He snarled in an automatic reaction to the hard backhand across his face, glaring up at Sasuke, who coincidentally was glaring down at him. He opened his mouth but Sasuke grabbed his face harshly.

"Stop thinking dobe. You know that everything will turn out fine in the end, so stop-" he punctuated it with a hard downward movement, making them both gasp "-fucking thinking."

"Yes master," he hissed. Before the superior look could gain more ground in the black eyes, Naruto smirked and grabbed the slender hips, wrenching them down until flesh met flesh. It threw Sasuke's head back, and moans began to spill out as Naruto took complete control.

The loud smacks of skin on skin echoed through the small area, as did his panting and Sasuke's groans of pleasure. The heady combination of lust and love fired his nerve endings as his fingers created bruises on Sasuke's hips. He stared up at the flushed face that was the ultimate center of his world, and couldn't help but wonder how different his life would have turned out if he had just let Sasuke go that day.

The heat and release began to pool in his abdomen, and acting on his emotion, he reached up and buried a hand in Sasuke's hair. He brought their lips together, and whispered words against them that he had yet to say. "I love you Sasuke…"

Shock widened onyx eyes connected with his for a moment before Sasuke's head went back, and the already tight passage clenched around him. With a hiss he came into his dark haired lover, but was unprepared for his head to be grabbed tightly, and a panting Sasuke to crush their lips together.

It took them a moment, but after a tangle of tongues they parted, and Sasuke glared at him. "Took you fucking long enough dobe."

Naruto's eyes widened, but then he smirked, bringing their lips together for a gentler, more passionate kiss.

Drawing back again, he smiled slightly, tracing the sharp cheekbones. "Sorry. Didn't know you wanted me to say it."

Sasuke blushed and scowled, resting his forehead against the crook of Naruto's neck. "Hn."

Naruto chuckled softly, and gently lifted Sasuke off him, whispering a soft 'sorry' when Sasuke hissed quietly in discomfort. "I wish there was a non salt water thing around here so we could clean up…" he mused.

Sasuke snorted, then slowly, chuckles began to build until he was shaking in Naruto's arms. A little peeved and worried, Naruto pulled far enough away to see Sasuke's face.

"Teme, what the hell is so funny?"

"You…thing…water thing…" he managed between laughs, then doubled over again, tears streaming from his eyes.

Naruto blinked as his mouth made an O, thinking back on what he said. Then he snorted, and shook his head. "Wow teme. Never thought you would find something like that funny."

Sasuke slapped his shoulder, still snorting in laughter. "Shut up."

Snorting again, Naruto leaned against the tree and held Sasuke close to him, watching as sunset started to creep through the woods. The laughter died away, and was replaced by the calm sounds of winds and animals.

"Neh, dobe." Sasuke's sleepy voice was quiet, and Naruto "Hmmed?" in response. "You're not going to run from this, are you?"

Naruto sighed, and shook his head, feeling some of that good, calm emotion leaving him. "No teme, I'm not."

"Hn. Good. Because I'm tired, and I want to go home."

Naruto blinked, and snickered even as he stood up, surprised as hell that Sasuke didn't punch him or anything when he started back, carrying him. He couldn't resist one last barb though. "You're such a prima donna."

Sasuke smirked up at him, completely unrepentant. "It's your fault."

As they leapt through the trees, disappearing swiftly into the growing darkness, neither of them noticed the dual colored man who rose from a branch.

"Madara has been taken," the white half said.

"Orochimaru will gain his eyes and power," the black half said.

"We must inform the Leader."

They both sank away, and disappeared.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this is the end of this piece of their story. A brief look into what is planned next for the three of them:**

**After this, there will be a series of one shots from various pov's, as a chronicle for the time elapse. These one shots are going to span about 5 years, and at the moment, I have the first two already in the works. I decided to do it this way, because a lot of characters were screaming at me with plotpuppies, but I couldn't find a way to work them into this story. So, they are going to get their own. The first should be up in about a month, after I get everything with school and my new job settled down. *evil smile* Here's a little preview:**

**** Madara glanced up as light flooded his cell, involuntarily tensing against the thick chakra suppressing chains that wrapped around him. A familiar silhouette entered, and he sighed in mock boredom. He would never let Orochimaru know that his heart tripped over itself in an effort to flee his body and the torture he had been enduring. Was still going to. Orochimaru would never know how close he had come to breaking his mind. Not until it actually broke. **

**"Maa maa Orochimaru," he sneered, looking lazily up into the amused, piercing golden eyes. "I would have thought you'd grow bored with me after a few months. I must be an interesting plaything for you to keep coming back for a year." ****

**So yes, that is the first one. The second will be from Itachi's pov, and there will also be one with Sayomi and Leola, the two girls. They have been yelling at me since before I even put them into the main story. *shrugs* If there's any requests, feel free to let me know. After these one shots will be the next story, which will be the last one.**

**And I think that's about it. So thanks for reading, and all the reviews. *bows deeply* It was a pleasure.  
**


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